The Friend on the Road and Other Studies in the Gospels

THE contrast is between bad critics and good surgeons. On the one hand there is a man with very defective eyes passing judgment on another man's sight. The partially blind is presuming to be a judge of other people's eyes. It is a case of a blind oculist. On the other hand, there is a man whose eyes are healthy and full of light, and. he is gently removing a spell from his brother's eyes, and restoring him to cool and normal sight. So that the contrast presented by our Lord is not merely a contrast between a good critic and a bad critic. The word passes beyond the circle of criticism to the realm of service. And Christ presents an ideal to us, and His ideal is that of a man whose eyes are full of discernment, whose heart is full of gentleness, and whose hands are disciplined in helpfulness, and the man is busy restoring sight to others. Our eyes are raised to contemplate a chivalrous surgeon engaged in ministries of emancipation. "If any man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness." It is the work of the noblest surgeon.