Other Sunday and Holy Day Readings
8th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Cycle C)
Readings:
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 27:4-7
Psalm 92:2-3, 13-16
1 Corinthians 15:54-58
Luke 6:39-45
Abbreviations: NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), IBHE (Interlinear Bible Hebrew-English), IBGE (Interlinear Bible Greek-English), or LXX (Greek Septuagint Old Testament translation). CCC designates a citation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The word LORD or GOD rendered in all capital letters is, in the Hebrew text, God's Divine Name, YHWH (Yahweh).
God reveals His divine plan for humanity in the two Testaments; therefore, we read and relive the events of salvation history in the Old and New Testaments in the Church's Liturgy. The Catechism teaches that the Liturgy reveals the unfolding mystery of God's plan as we read the Old Testament in light of the New and the New Testament in light of the Old (CCC 1094-1095).
The Theme of the Readings: Honesty in Proclaiming the Word
God calls all Christians to testify of Jesus Christ and His
Gospel of salvation. However, a Christian's witness is only credible if it is
honest and reflects the image of Christ in the life of the one bearing
testimony of Jesus and His Kingdom.
The First Reading introduces the theme of the Gospel Reading concerning the necessity of the language of the speaker/messenger inspired by the Lord to reflect the quality of the speaker's character accurately. The inspired writer of Sirach teaches that words are only credible if they can stand the test of tribulation without faltering and the examination of honesty that is readily discernable in one's life. It is a teaching echoed in the Psalm reading, proclaiming that only just people are "planted in the house of the LORD" and shall bear the fruit of righteous behavior.
In the Second Reading, St. Paul reminds us that belief in the salvation of the Gospel is not an excuse to become complacent. We are all called to continually witness the truth of Christ in our speech, actions, and daily lives as we interact with other people, including our family, neighbors, brothers and sisters in the faith community, and co-workers in secular society. Paul writes that we must "be firm, steadfast, always devoted to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain."
In the Gospel Reading, Jesus warns His disciples about the necessity of demonstrating His righteousness in their lives. They can do this through their rhetoric and by making the truth of His Gospel discernable in their actions. Jesus uses a saying and two short parables in His teaching about behavior. His two parables focus on a person's message being credible only if they are honest with themselves and others. This warning applies to us today.
In this series of teachings, Jesus calls His disciples in every generation to be guided by spiritual discernment in showing the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in their lives. Therefore, they must confess and repent their transgressions honestly before calling other sinners to repentance. They must also produce the "good fruit" of righteous deeds as evidence of one who bears the image of the resurrected Jesus Christ. The philosopher Goethe repeated the point of Jesus's teaching when he wrote: "Behavior is the mirror of one's true image." Does your behavior mirror the image of the Resurrected Jesus Christ?
Since the ministerial priesthood and the priesthood of believers (the laity) are responsible for bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel, the words they speak must support the honesty and integrity of their actions, which, in turn, must support the honesty and integrity of their words. Bad behavior hurts the Christian witness and could become a negative influence that fails to bring a lost soul to salvation, for which one could be held accountable when standing before the Lord God in Divine Judgment.
The First Reading Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 27:4-7 ~ The
Quality of One's Speech is a Test of One's Character
4 When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one's
faults when one speaks. 5 As the test of what the potter molds is in the
furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just. 6 The fruit of a tree shows
the care it has had; so too does one's speech disclose the bent of one's mind. 7
Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested.
Using examples from everyday life, including a sieve used to separate the grain from the husk and a kiln that fires a clay pot, the inspired writer compares tribulation in one's life to a test that reveals the quality of someone's character. The wise person knows when to speak and when to remain silent; he knows it is unnecessary to say everything he thinks. He also knows that thoughts precede actions, and sin is conceived in one's mind before it becomes an evil deed. He compares good deeds to good fruit, which is evidence of the careful cultivation of a fruit tree in the same way that a wise man who controls his thoughts produces the fruit of righteous acts.
Responsorial Psalm 92:2-3, 13-16 ~ A Hymn of Thanksgiving
for God's Fidelity
The response is: "Lord, it is good to give thanks to
you."
2 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praise
to your name, Most High, 3 to proclaim your kindness at dawn and your
faithfulness throughout the night.
Response:
13 The just one shall flourish like the palm tree, like a
cedar of Lebanon shall he grow. 14 They that are planted in the house of the
LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Response:
15 They shall bear fruit even in old age; vigorous and
sturdy shall they be, 16 declaring how just is the LORD, my rock, in whom there
is no wrong.
Response:
Psalm 92 is a hymn of thanksgiving and praise sung by the faithful in the morning and evening (our afternoon since each new Jewish day began at sundown) during the liturgy of Sabbath Temple worship (verses 2-3). The singing of the psalms in Temple worship rotated according to the day of the week. For example, on the first day of the week (Sunday), the Levitical choir sang Psalm 24, commemorating the first day of Creation when God created and then took sovereign possession of the cosmos (Mishnah: Tamid, 7:4A-B). On the second day of the week, they sang Psalm 48; on the third day, Psalm 82; on the fourth day, Psalm 94; on the fifth day, Psalm 81; and on the sixth day, Psalm 93. At the end of the week, on the Sabbath (Saturday), when two lambs were sacrificed in addition to the morning and afternoon Tamid lambs (Num 28:9-10), the Levites and the congregation sang Psalm 92, a hymn of praise for God's mercy and justice (Mishnah: Tamid 7:4H):
In verses 13-14, the psalmist promises the righteous will flourish in the Liturgy of worship in the "House of Yahweh" (the Jerusalem Temple) in the presence of the just God like a well-watered tree. The psalmist and all who come to worship Yahweh in His Temple will continue to yield fruitful lives to the end of their days because God will never fail them as a reward for their faithfulness (verse 16).
The Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 ~ A Hymn of
Triumph Over Death
54 When this which is corruptible clothes itself with
incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then
the word that is written shall come about: "Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God
who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my
beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, steadfast, always fully devoted to the
work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
The Greek Christians of Corinth had difficulty accepting the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead because it was a concept with which the Greeks were utterly unfamiliar. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-58, St. Paul gives a compelling argument supporting the bodily resurrection of Christ from the grave. In verses 54-58, he concludes with a hymn of thanksgiving to God for the tremendous gift to humanity merited by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which comes from His victory over sin, death, and the devil.
Paul writes that physical death has been "swallowed up in victory" as the price of the death of the One who was sinless and able to condemn physical death without a lasting impact on the mortal soul (verses 54-55). Then, in verses 56-57, Paul summarizes his teaching on the connection between Mosaic Law, sin, and death. Sin is the "sting" of death because it entered the world through the sin of Adam to harm all his descendants (see Rom 5:12). As humanity increased, sin grew. The Law of the Sinai Covenant (Law of Moses) defined sin but could not provide the grace to enable humans to avoid sin. In verse 58, St. Paul urges Christians to continue the fight by being "firm, steadfast, and devoted to the work of the Lord" and knowing that our good deeds offered in a labor of love for the Lord are not in vain.
The Gospel of Luke 6:39-45 ~ A Person is Known by the
Quality of His Actions
39 And Jesus told His disciples a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both
fall into a pit? 40 No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully
trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you notice the
splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your
own? 42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter
in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You
hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see
clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye. 43 A good tree does not
bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is
known by its own fruit. 44 For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, nor
do they gather grapes from brambles. 45 A good person out of the store of
goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil
produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."
In this passage, Jesus uses a saying and two short parables to teach about righteous behavior. He began teaching in parables when He encountered the opposition of His audience, including the religious leaders (see Mk 5:36-39). A parable is a story based on a familiar life experience that conveys a particular truth or imparts a lesson. Biblical scholars number the parables in the Gospels as between 35-75. The wide variation in numbering the parables comes from the difficulty in classifying what is defined as a parable, a saying or maxim, a simile or a metaphor, or an allegory. Eight significant themes occur regularly in Jesus's parables:
The Saying of the Blind Guide: In verse 39, Jesus said, "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?" He uses what may have been a popular saying to make His point about the importance of correct behavior. A person immersed in sin cannot lead others out of sin and back to righteousness. He is a "blind guide" and a hypocrite because of his sinful condition. The "pit" is probably a reference to the fiery pit of the hell of the damned. Notice that Jesus uses the Greek word "hypocrite" in verse 42. There is no Hebrew or Aramaic equivalent. It is a Greek word that refers to the Greek theater and means "playing a role or part." Jesus's point is that someone guilty of unconfessed sins for which they have not shown repentance is only a hypocrite playing the part of a righteous person when they try to bring to light the sins of another.
The Parable of the Splinter and the Beam: In verses 40-41, Jesus says: "No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? 42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye."
The "teacher" in verse 40 is Christ. No disciple is superior
to Christ, but when trained in the "Word," every disciple can live in the image
and likeness of Christ to be an example to others.
Jesus teaches that in fighting sin, we must begin with
fighting the failures of sin in ourselves. We are hypocrites if we quickly
judge a fault in someone else when we are guilty of the same sin in our lives.
When we recognize and condemn in someone else what is a sin in our lives
without confessing and repenting our transgressions, our sins will doubly count
against us when we give an account of our lives before God at Divine Judgment.
We will also have no credibility if we try to help someone else whose life is torn
apart by sin if our lives are just as tainted. The answer to living a life of
righteousness is to seek God's forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
When we experience the grace of God's mercy, we must offer that same
forgiveness to others in the human family. To forgive us our trespasses as
we forgive those who trespass against us is a petition in the Lord's Prayer
(Mt 6:12). We must be committed to forgiving one another as God has forgiven
you in Christ (Eph 4:32). St. Augustine wrote, "Whoever confesses his sins
...is already working with God" (In Evangelium Johannis, 12).
The Parable of a Tree and its Fruit: In verses 43-45, Jesus said: A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. 45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
Jesus used this parable in the Sermon on the Mount to help discern between true and false prophets (Mt 7:15-20). Someone who claims he speaks in the name of God is someone who claims to be a prophet. Unfortunately, throughout salvation history, there have always been false prophets who have led the faithful astray. In relating this teaching to the blind guide saying, one can recognize the true child of God who is a guide to others by the quality of his deeds that are the "fruits" of good works that his life produces like compassion, mercy, charity to the poor and a forgiving heart. Notice the reference to "thorn bushes," a reminder of Adam's judgment in Genesis 3:18.
45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his
heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
People in Jesus's time understood the heart as the moral essence
of a person for good or evil. It was the seat of one's personality. The
struggle against sin and evil entails purifying oneself by confessing sin and
surrendering to the interior anointing of God the Holy Spirit. Only then can
someone genuinely do what is righteous. In Jesus's parable, the good fruit
(good works) comes from good trees (good people), and the rotten fruit (evil works)
comes from bad trees (people with evil intentions). The malicious accusations
of the scribes and Pharisees reveal the malice and evil in their hearts; their
rotten fruit/deeds identify them as evil. They are looking for sin in Jesus
when an abundance of sin is evident in their lives.
In the "tree known by its fruit" parable, Jesus uses one of the covenant images of the Old Testament prophets. There are four reoccurring symbolic images of the prophets that represent a covenant relationship or lack of a covenant relationship with God: (1) marriage, (2) the fruitful vine and tree, (3) domesticated animals, and (4) drinking wine (See the chart "The Symbolic Images of the Prophets"). In this series of teachings, Jesus called His disciples in every generation to be guided by a spiritual discernment that is the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in their lives. They must confess and repent their transgressions honestly before calling other sinners to repentance. They must bear the "good fruit" of righteous deeds as evidence of one who bears the image of the resurrected Jesus Christ. The philosopher Goethe repeated the point of Jesus' teaching when he wrote: "Behavior is the mirror of one's true image." Does your behavior mirror the image of the righteous Resurrected Jesus Christ?
Catechism References (* indicates Scripture is quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 27:4 (CCC 2847*)
Psalm 92 (CCC 1174*, 1175-1178, 1196)
1 Corinthians 15:56 (CCC 602*)
Luke 6:39-45 (CCC 1833, 2000, 2478)
The heart is the home of truth (CCC 2562-2563)
Good acts and evil acts (CCC 1755-1756)
Forming conscience and decision-making (CCC 1783-1794)
Spiritual direction (CCC 2690)
The Christian view of death (CCC 1009*, 1010*, 1011*, 1012*, 1013*)
Michal E Hunt, Copyright © 2016; revised 2025 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.