There is a wonderfully thoughtful and poignant line spoken in the film Brick Lane. An older man speaking to a younger observes, "When you are young everything seems possible. When you get older it is no longer important that everything is possible, only that some things are certain." We are living in a world that is besotted with youth and slave to the youthful notion that everything seems possible and in denial of the many certainties of life. Beyond the old cliché of death and taxes there are a number of certainties for the Christian that Jesus addresses in this sermon.

The first is that if a blind man leads a blind man the consequences will not be happy. As the people of the kingdom seek to establish their lives on kingdom principles they need a teacher and an example to follow and "Everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher" (Lk.6:40) New Christians need good and godly role models and the responsibility of mature parents, teachers and friends is a serious one.

The second certainty is that, as Socrates observed, the unexamined life is not worth living. Jesus said:

"How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye" (Lk.6:42)

This not an unreasonable demand for perfection but a call to understand what it is to be a Christian in this fallen world and order our lives accordingly. How can we lead others, help them with their struggles and show them the way when we are blind to our own sins and faults? Surely both will fall into a ditch?

Finally, whatever the world tells us is possible, it is certain that our lives reflect our hearts and it is in the heart that the great issues of life are decided. Making disciples doesn't require us to know everything or attain perfection before we teach but it does require that we know our own hearts and that our hearts should be dedicated to Jesus. After all it is his ways that we are to teach. If our hearts are not right then it is simply not possible for our lives to be right and that is for certain.

"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (Lk.6:44-45)

If our lives are honestly examined, our hearts are right and our priorities those of his kingdom, then Jesus likens us to a wise man who builds his house on firm foundations. Such a person is not perfect but is firmly founded and correctly guided and such a person is a good guide to others who will indeed benefit from becoming like their teacher. A teacher whose own teacher in turn is Jesus.

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