Have you ever seen a blind person leading another blind person? Have you made the statement that it is like the blind leading the blind? Do you follow a specific teacher? Is there someone who is or has been a mentor to you? Do you think of yourself more highly than them?
Most of us have seen a blind person. They often have a walking stick that allows them to feel ahead of them while they are walking. They see by touch, which can be a little unsettling the first time a blind person wants to feel our face. Yet, they can be very perceptive.
When Jesus talks of a blind person leading a blind person and falling into a pit, He is not referring to them having a walking stick like we see today. He was speaking of them either not having one at all or a very crude and perhaps clumsy walking stick. Not only that, He might have been referring to them running away from danger. We often don’t realize just how much we rely on our eyesight until we don’t have it or it has gotten hard to see clearly.
Jesus immediately follows up the blind person example with that of a disciple. Have you stopped to wonder why? If the teacher we follow is not teaching the truth, we will learn falseness. He also states the follower of a teacher is not to think of themselves above the teacher. No, the disciple can merely seek to be like the teacher.
In His example, Jesus is referring to the Jewish tradition of following a rabbi. In our world today, we have many teachers as we progress through school. This makes it even more difficult for us to be equal to the teacher in their specific subject. Spending just a few hours with a teacher is not nearly enough time for them to teach all they know on the subject. So, why do we think of ourselves as experts? This applies to our understanding of God as well. We need to spend more time learning about God by reading his Word and participating in Bible studies.
I pray we all choose our teacher wisely. I pray we choose to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I pray each one of us will commit to spending more time reading God’s Word and studying it. Choose not to follow a blind teacher. Choose to be a follower of Jesus. Be a disciple of truth. Spend time reading God’s Word. Participate in Bible studies.
Luke 6:39-40 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.”
Marty Pressey 