11 January, 2011
Read Luke 6:39-45
Luke 6:39
“Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?”
The listeners at that time were following the Pharisees’ teachings which Jesus warned would lead them not into life, but into the pit. The Pharisees were blinded and to follow them spelled darkness and danger, not light and life.
Thus, Jesus challenged His listeners to break free from the Pharisees’ teachings and turned to His Kingdom teachings instead.
Question: What are some teachings today that seem to promise success and guidance to life but are actually toxics to our souls and lead us away from God’s truth?
Luke 6:41-42
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?”
How ironic and nonsensical that a blind guide would be able to see the wrong teachings of another! The main point of this pictorial illustration is to show how we tend to project our own problem into others’ lives.
Instead of dealing with the speck in our eyes, we make a big deal (by criticising and trying to solve) out of the speck (which becomes a log – LOL) in our brothers’ eyes!
Perhaps Jesus was saying that all the endless rules and regulations that the Pharisees came up with (false teachings to Jesus) was a symptom of their missing the main point of the Kingdom message. How? The Pharisees were so caught up with separating Israel from the nations that they missed the main message of Israel becoming a light to the nations.
So God’s church today are split and often fight over minor issues and seldom over the main tenets of our faith. If we are to fight, let us battle over how we should and can be better radical witness to the world!
Jesus’ point was that all moral ‘do’s and don’ts’ are pointless unless the heart is regenerated. Jesus invites us into a new way of life that will transform our whole life - from the inside out. And it all start with following the right teacher and right teachings.
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Do you think it's easy to be misinterpreted for your actions by a person who is receiving constructive criticism or cautioning from you? I think it's hard to differentiate whether a person is cautioning versus being critical. Sometimes it's hard to withhold truth if you know something isn't right. But I guess in the Bible Jesus rarely says anything directly to the person. He usually speaks in parables? Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteDandan, I had that confusion before too. But one thing that clears things up is .... we are to "rebuke one another with love". You will notice many cases of the Pharisees condemning others because of their sin and boasting themselves up.
ReplyDeleteI would say it was the Pharisees pride that Jesus was furious about. Not so much the rebuking but the pride.