#48 Lu. 6:39 THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND

Introduction:

    In the previous verses Jesus gave a series of commands and then gave a
good reason to obey each command.  He commanded, "Judge not."  A good reason
to obey is that if one is not severe in his judgment of others, then others
will not be severe in their judgment of him.  He commanded, "Condemn not." A
good reason to obey is that if one does not condemn others then he will not
be condemned.  He commanded, "Forgive" and a very good reason to forgive is
that one who forgives will be forgiven.  He commanded, "Give" and a very
good reason to give is that if one gives then more will be given to him in
return.  In our text today He gives a parable which asks two questions.

I.  The questions asked by the parable

    The parable which Jesus gave speaks about the blind leading the blind.
Let us take a look at the text verse and the questions which it asks.  "And
he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind?  shall they not
both fall into the ditch?"  The answer to the first question is, "No, the
blind cannot lead the blind."  The blind cannot lead anybody.  You are
familiar with Blind Bartimaeus in the Scripture.  He is the beggar whom
Jesus healed at the gates of Jericho and made him able to see.  Can you
imagine Blind Bartimaeus leading a parade?  Or can you imagine a blind man
leading army into battle?
    The answer to the second question in the text is "Yes.  Yes, if the
blind lead the blind they will both fall into the ditch." The blind leader
will fall and the blind follower will fall.
    But I think you recognize by now that what Jesus is really talking about
is not people who are actually physically blind.  What He is really talking
about is people who are spiritually blind.  He simply uses those who are
physically blind to illustrate what He is really talking about concerning
those who are spiritually blind.

II.  The spiritually blind leaders in Israel at the time of Christ

    Jesus was talking about some of the spiritual leaders in Israel right at
that very time.  They were spiritually blind.  Now just who were the
spiritually blind leaders in the nation of Israel in the days of Jesus
Christ?  The Scriptures speak specifically about two religious groups in
that day.  The Scriptures speak of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
    The Pharisees were the larger group and they wielded the stronger
religious influence in the land.  They were looked to for leadership by the
greater number of people.  They were an egotistical self-righteous bunch who
saw no wrong doing in themselves and were super critical of everybody else.
They were a classic example of those who judge and condemn others and who
would therefore bring judgment and condemnation upon themselves.
    The Sadducees were not as large in number as the Pharisees and did not
wield as much influence on the general public.  They did, however, have a
greater political pull than the Pharisees.  In general, they were richer
than the Pharisees and held a great number of seats on the Sanhedrin
Counsel.  The high priest was usually a Sadducee.
    The Sanhedrin Counsel was a group of seventy men who held the greatest
religious power in Israel.  They also held the greatest political power
other than the Romans themselves.
    Secular historians speak of a third group of religious leaders in Israel
during the time of Christ who are not directly mentioned in Scripture.  They
are called "The Essenes."  According to secular historians this group took
their doctrines and practices from several different sources.  They held to
some beliefs and practices which they borrowed from the Pharisees.  They
held to some beliefs and practices which they borrowed from the heathen
religions and they eventually came to hold to some beliefs and practices
which they took from the Christians.  Although not mentioned specifically in
Scripture the Essenes are thought to be referred to in II John 7 as being
spiritual deceivers.  That verse reads, "For many deceivers are entered into
the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.  This is
a deceiver an anti-christ."  The Essenes did deny that the Christ had come
in human flesh.  They believed that all material and physical things are
inherently evil.  Therefore they looked upon Jesus as being just another
sinner as long as He dwelt in human flesh.  They believed that He became a
god only after He was crucified and resurrected.  They refused to believe
that the physical body of Jesus came forth from the grave in the
resurrection.
    Thus even in the days of Jesus and of the early churches there were
blind spiritual leaders.  The Pharisees were blind spiritual leaders.  In
Matthew 23:16 Jesus speaking of the Pharisees said, "Woe unto you, ye blind
guides..."  In verse l7 He said, "Ye fools and blind..."  In verse 19 He
said, "Ye fools and blind..."  In verse 24 He said, "Ye blind guides..."  In
verse 26 He said, "Thou blind Pharisee..."
    The Sadducees were equally as blind spiritually.  They occupied the
higher positions on the Sanhedrin Council and took a leading role in the
arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus.  Doctrinally they not only deny that
Jesus arose from the dead, but deny that anybody will be resurrected.
    The Essenes were likewise blind spiritual leaders.  John said that they
were deceivers because they deny that Jesus was Deity God dwelling in human
flesh.

III.  What would happen to such blind leaders and their followers

    Jesus informed His disciples what would happen to such blind spiritual
leaders as the Pharisees and Sadducees.  In the parable, He said that they
would fall into the ditch.  That is sufficient answer if you were talking
about those who are only physically blind.  But these are spiritually
blind.  They would not fall into a ditch.  They would fall into the fires of
hell.
    It is to say that these spiritually blind spiritual leaders would live
out their lives here on earth and then go into the torments of hell where
they would spend eternity.  Jesus said about the Pharisees in Matthew 23:33,
"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of
hell?"  It is a sad thing when a man is religious and, he is very sincere in
his religion, but he still winds up in the fires of hell.
    It is even more sad that those who follow them also wind up in the fires
of hell.  In Matthew 23:15 Jesus said, "Woe unto you, scribes, Pharisees,
hypocrites!  for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he
is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves."  In
other words, not only do those blind spiritual leaders go to hell but they
lead countless thousands of other people to follow them blindly into the
fires of hell.  In the parable when the blind lead the blind they both wind
up in the ditch and in real life, when spiritually blind leaders lead
spiritually blind people, they all wind up in the fires of hell.

IV.  Spiritually blind leaders of today
    But I would point out you that not all of the spiritually blind
leaders are dead and gone.  Satan has a bumper crop of them in the world
today.  Many of these men pose as Christians.  Many of the hold high
positions in the religious world.  Many of them pastor huge churches and
their names are known and respected throughout the nation and the world.
Many of them have graduated with the highest honors from some of the most
respected schools of theology in the land.  Some of them are professors of
theology and teach in some of the biggest seminaries in the nation.  Many of
them are looked upon as being authorities in all matters pertaining to
religion and have received great fame and recognition throughout the land.
Some of them draw huge crowds when they come to a town on a speaking
engagement.
    But, beloved, when a religious leader denies that salvation is by the
grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God, then that man is
as blind as a bat spiritually.  When a religious leader denies the blood
bought salvation then that man may have all manner of degrees from the most
noted seminary, but spiritually he is as blind as the Pharisees.  When a
religious leader denies that Jesus Christ is eternal God, then He is a blind
spiritual deceiver just like the Essenes were.  When a religious leader
denies that the Bible is the Holy word of God then he is the same kind of
serpent that the Pharisees were.  When a religious leader preaches and
teaches the doctrines that come right out of the pit of hell, then he is a
blind leader of the blind.  I tell you the truth that there are thousands of
such men in our nation today.

V.  Qualifications for true spiritual leadership
    In order to be a true spiritual leader, the very most essential
qualification is that he must be saved.  He must be born again.  How can he
effectively lead lost souls to be saved if he does not, himself,  know how
to be saved and refuses the truth of God which tells him how?
    Furthermore in order for a man to be a valid spiritual leader, he must
believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God.  If he does not believe
the Bible, then what in the world could he offer to men that they might
believe in?  I say to you that if he does not believe the Bible, then he has
nothing at all to offer.
    Now some might say, but I know a preacher who does preaches and teaches
the Bible even though he plainly says that he does not believe it to be
inspired of God.  He surely could not be very bad since he preaches and
teaches the Bible.  Not so, my friend.  If he does not believe that the
Bible is inspired of God and yet he continues to preach it and teach it,
then he is he is a hypocrite for preaching that which he does not believe.
He is just as big a hypocrite as the Pharisees were.  How can he believe
what he preaches if he does not believe it to be inspired of God?
    Still another qualification is essential if a man is truly a legitimate
spiritual leader.  In addition to being genuinely born again and in addition
to believing that the Bible is inspired of God, a man must be called of God
to preach God's word. In Matthew chapter 4 we read about Jesus calling Peter
and Andrew and James and John to the ministry.  In Acts 13:2 we read about
Paul and Barnabas being called of God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
If a man is not called of God to preach then he has no business trying to be
to be a preacher.
    Even after a man is truly saved and truly believes the Bible and is
truly called of God to preach, he still ought to rightly divide the word of
God that he preaches.  It is possible for a man to be a legitimate Christian
leader and still be honestly mistaken in something that preaches and
teaches.  God's word is the final authority and not what the preacher says
about it.
    But the main point here is not that the good preachers may make honest
mistakes.  The point that Jesus is making is that there are those who are
themselves lost in sin and on the road to hell and they are leading
multitudes of people to follow them into the fire.  If the blind lead the
blind they both fall into the ditch.  And if unsaved preachers preach false
gospels to the people and the people believe the false gospel which they
preach then they will all wind up in hell.

VI.  Where our interest should lie today

    The object in Christianity is not to get people down the aisle to join
the church.  The object in Christianity is not to get people to be
religious.  The object in Christianity is to get people to be genuinely
born again---to get people genuinely saved.  Listen, folks, getting people
saved, that is the name of the game.  Getting the saved to receive
Scriptural baptism, that is the name of the game.  Getting the saved to
rightly understand the Holy Bible and to live by its teachings, that is the
name of the game.
    If you are unsaved and if you are interested in staying out of hell,
then you ought to be careful who you listen to.  Be careful that you do not
listen to one of the blind leaders of the blind who just could lead you
right on down the road to hell.
    If you are saved then you still ought to be careful who you listen to.
I would not at all denounce every radio and television preacher, but I will
tell you for sure that you ought to be careful who you listen to.  The
airwaves are full of those who are blind leaders of the blind.  Even though
you are saved, you do not need to get your doctrinal teaching from those who
get their doctrines from the Devil.
    Furthermore you ought to be careful who you send your money to.  You
ought not to be sending your money to support those who are blind leaders of
the blind.  Only God knows how much Baptist money has been sent in to
heretical preachers who preach that which is not the truth of God.
    If you are saved and know the truth of God, whether you are a preacher
or not, you should earnestly contend for the truths of God as set forth in
God's Holy word.
    Furthermore, if you are saved and believe in the Bible and want to be
taught the truth of God as set forth in the Bible, then you ought to be a
member of a church which believes and teaches the Bible.  You ought to
support the churches with your presence, your prayers and your effort.
    If you are saved and have children in your home then you ought to want
your children to be brought up in a Bible believing and Bible preaching
church.
    If you are under a Bible believing and Bible preaching preacher then you
ought to pray for him on a regular basis that God would help him and use him
in the preaching of the word of God.
    If you are saved and believe the Bible to be the Holy Word of God, then
you ought to let the Bible be you guide in life.  You ought to seek to live
your life by the teachings of God's word.
    If you are saved and if God is calling you to preach His word, then you
ought to surrender your life to the ministry.