A Short Parable
Jun 30 2023 - Eric Buresh
And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” Luke 6:39
Jesus’ parable is less than one line (in my extra-large print Bible). Yet, it packs a sobering punch. If we listen to and follow teachers that are spiritually blind, we are heading for calamity. Who is guiding you will have a huge impact on where you are led.
This may seem like an obvious warning, but I want to ask you to really think about it with me. Let’s ask ourselves a few questions: Who are we learning from? Who or what has our ear throughout the week? To whom are we looking for guidance? How careful are we to make sure these sources have spiritual sight? Are they feeding us the world’s message?
The world is blind. The world’s philosophies are blind. The world’s slogans are blind. Even if a teacher wraps a stray Bible verse around a blind mantra, it is still blind. A spiritually blind teacher can claim they prayed about their words and heard from the Holy Spirit, and those words are still blind. Spiritually blind teachers can be persuasive. They can be moving. Their slogans and catch phrases feel so right. They tell us how great we are and how great we will be. That’s so much easier to hear than the Gospel which always tells us how great Jesus is and only speaks of our greatness in and through Him. How much easier it is to hear the teaching of the spiritually blind! To relish the sirens’ song of self-worship.
How do we spot the world’s teachers? In the next verse, Jesus concludes, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40) Without holding anyone to an impossible standard of perfection, the basic question to ask is whether they are trying to imitate their teacher, Jesus? Jesus only taught His Father’s words. (John 14:10) Is your teacher only teaching the Father’s words as recorded in Holy Scriptures? Jesus gave God all the glory. Is your teacher always giving God the credit for His words of wisdom, knowing apart from the Great Teacher, he or she would have nothing meaningful to offer? Jesus perfectly taught the Gospel message of totally dependent faith. Does your teacher always hold forth dependent faith in Christ as the foundation for true and abundant life, or do they offer their own solutions? A good teacher will be like their teacher -- Jesus. If your teacher is spiritually blind, dump them before they lead you into the ditch!
P.S. – In a recent conversation, a friend asked whether it is good to listen to non-religious teachers on basic wisdom principles. Like most things, it can be good or bad. In most cases, though, the world has stolen its wisdom from the Bible without attribution. If you need wisdom in an area, you can always find a follower of Jesus who has taken the time to articulate God’s wisdom from a Gospel-centered, Christ-glorifying perspective that provides the whole truth. Ask your campus pastor if you need a good book reference. You won’t find teachers with spiritual sight on the weekly New York Times Bestsellers List very often!