“Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” (Mat 15:14 NAU)
What did Jesus (Yeshua) mean?
In context we have the Pharisees complaining to Jesus (Yeshua) that His disciples were not following the “traditions of the elders” by eating bread without washing their hands first. Jesus explains that eating with dirty hands does not make you unclean, but the things you say is what makes you unclean. He states further that their traditions break the commands of God.
Now as they move on, the disciples come to Jesus and tell him that the Pharisees were ticked-off by the remarks Jesus made and His response is priceless. Let them alone, they are blind men who lead blind men, and won’t they all fall? This statement has made it’s way into our vocabulary 2,000 years later as evidenced by the dictionary.com website:
Dictionary.com says: An expression applied to leaders who know as little as their followers and are therefore likely to lead them astray: “When it comes to science and technology, many politicians know as little as the average citizen; they’re the blind leading the blind.”
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.Those lacking the skills or knowledge for something are being guided by equally inept individuals. For example, Bill’s teaching his son carpentry; that’s a case of the blind leading the blind. The expression is found in the New Testament as one of Jesus’s teachings (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). [c. 1600 ]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by HoughtonMifflin Company.
Blindly following?
This should be our big question, are we blindly following those that lead us or are we taking responsibility for our eternal life?
We know from John chapter 1 verse 1 that Jesus Christ is the Word and the Word was with God and the Word WAS God. We know from the same chapter that the Word was made flesh and tabernacle among us. We know that the spoken Word of God created all things and all things exist because of the spoken Word of God as Genesis tells us. We read further in John that the Pharisees would try to remove the Word by hanging it on the cross, but the spoken Word of God is too powerful and thus resurrected in three days and remains the true Word forever.
What then is this Word John speaks of other than all the spoken words of God. We know that you cannot add to it or take away from it because it destroys the Word. That would be like piling on 200 pounds of cement on Jesus to carry or removing the fingernails if Jesus who is the Word. Jesus said out of His own mouth as recorded in Matthew 5:17 that He didn’t come to destroy the law or the prophets, which would be destroying Himself is the Word
So to answer the big question is to understand the Jesus is the spoken Word of God and it is forbidden to change the Word. Thus we have a measuring stick that will be measured against us. Jesus as the Word balancing against our own actions, will show the true path we are on. Are we following the Word or blindly take the words of others as the Word.
Modern Day Blind Leaders
Pastors, Preachers and all Church leaders have a huge responsibility as herding the flock of the one true Word. This should not be taken lightly as there is a large price to pay for misleading the flock of the Word. The Word himself spoke to this very clearly and to the point when he said:
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:18-19 KJV)
For those out there who know the truth but teach against it, shame on them. But remember, most people have been taught in error and continue to pass down what they have known for a lifetime. We have many generations of church leaders who have never taken the time to seek truth, but continue in the “family business” without questioning the sources. After all Grand-dad could not have told me a lie, he was a good man of the cloth.
Jeremiah spoke to this:
O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. (Jer 16:19 KJV)
Lies passed down for generations lead to another generation that has to overcome the lies.
How do we avoid the pit?
This is the million dollar question and one of utmost importance. Not all things that have been passed down are lies. It is each of our jobs to separate truth from tradition. The Bible is not silent on finding truth to apply in our lives.
Before Jesus was taken captive, he prayed for all of the disciples and for us as well. In this prayer he made this statement:
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (Joh 17:17 KJV)
So if the Word is truth, then we must weigh each and every foundational belief against the unchangeable Word made flesh without adding to or taking away from our precious Jesus.
Thank you for the post.
It is very hard for new believers to understand that the truth of the bible is at times not aligned with traditions.
A tradition is acceptable as long as it does not clash with biblical doctrines, the oracles of the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostolic fathers, the early church, most of all the words of Jesus.
A tradition must be ditched when it is a heavy burden.
A tradition must be ditched when it does not reflect biblical values.
A tradition must be ditched when it is dead works.
One can keep a man-made tradition when it reinforces a prophecy, a future event, a kingdom element, emphasises a biblical feast, provides greater understanding, enhances the relationship with God.
CONCLUSION – Never place our traditions or cultures above GOD.
Miss B, Thank you for taking your time to share your comments, it is appreciated. I agree with you that we should not elevate our traditions above the teachings of God and it is then doubly bad when we teach others to do the same thing. We must remember that we are known by our fruit. Most people do not take the the to research their traditions, whether it is from their parents or the particular church doctrine they adhere to. Knowing the truth of most traditions can free you and if the Son (the Word made flesh) sets you free, you are free indeed.
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