The Parable Of The Blind Leading The Blind – Luke 6:39

by Micky Galloway

“And he spake also a parable unto them, Can the blind guide the blind? shall they not both fall into a pit?” Though there are a number of lessons tied with this parable, let us focus our attention on just a few. In a similar text Jesus said, “For this people's heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them” (Matthew 13:15). In the text there are identified ailments which are spiritual ailments. These can be cured only through obedience to God’s word. In this article, we are centering our attention on one particular ailment: spiritual blindness.

In Ephesians 4:17-19, the apostle Paul addressed spiritual blindness when he wrote, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; who being past feeling gave themselves up to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” In these verses, Paul warned the Ephesian brethren about this dreadful disease and its symptoms.

When he wrote to the Corinthian church, he also warned the brethren of spiritual blindness. He said, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn (upon them)” (II Corinthians 4:3-4). Here, he mentioned those who were blinded by Satan, the “god of this world.” Hence, they were separated from God because they refused to believe and obey the truth of the gospel. These few passages establish the truth that spiritual blindness is a serious condition, a condition that leads to spiritual death. Let’s examine some common causes of spiritual blindness.

Lust. Peter discussed the remedy for spiritual blindness caused by lust when he wrote, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn (upon them)” (II Peter 1:3-4). In II Peter 3:1-3, Peter appealed to the words of the holy prophets and apostles which would purify the mind and provide escape from lust. He wrote, “This is now, beloved, the second epistle that I write unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance; that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandments of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles: knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts.” Those who are driven by worldly minds desire to satisfy the lusts of the flesh in every imaginable way. Drug addiction; cancer of the lungs, mouth, and throat; alcoholism; gambling addiction; AIDS; prostitution; child molestation and murder (including abortion) are just a FEW byproducts of the lustful desires that plague many in this world.

Following blind guides. Jesus said, “And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14). Isaiah wrote, “For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed” (Isaiah 9:16). In Isaiah's day, false prophets caused God’s people to err, and they led them astray. Today, many so-called gospel preachers tickle the ears of brethren who do not love the truth. As a result, these brethren are walking in spiritual darkness. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 28:10, “Whoso causeth the upright to go astray in an evil way, He shall fall himself into his own pit; But the perfect shall inherit good.” False teachers are leading many religious people astray. Are you blindly following a preacher because he is YOUR preacher, or do you, as did the Beroeans of Acts 17:11, search the Scriptures daily to determine whether or not the things that he teaches and preaches are true?

Fear of men. Some brethren are reluctant to confirm what they believe because they fear what others may think. Some fear they will become unpopular if they speak the truth about a controversial subject. The Bible teaches that the fearful will NOT enter the kingdom of heaven! John wrote in Revelation 21:8, “But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part (shall be) in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.” Solomon also wrote, “The fear of man bringeth a snare; But whoso putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25). When the apostles were charged not to teach in the name of Christ they boldly proclaimed, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Peter and the apostles did not cower down to men or cease teaching and preaching the truth.

Prejudice. Webster's dictionary defines prejudice as, “preconceived judgment or opinion, or an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or sufficient knowledge.” Prejudice has caused many to reject the truth of God's word without giving it a fair hearing. When the apostle Paul offered his defense in Acts 22, he had to contend with people who were too prejudiced to recognize truth. The Jews were willing to hear him. When he mentioned that God had selected him to go to the Gentiles (whom the Jews despised), they went into a rage; they cast off their clothes, threw dust in the air, and demanded that Paul be beaten (Acts 22:22-24). Cornelius, on the other hand, expressed a willingness to hear, “Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all things that have been commanded thee of the Lord” (Acts 10:33).

Religious confusion. In this world, there are many religions. Jesus said however, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). The way of truth is very narrow and exacting. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and called them hypocrites and declared their worship vain, because they taught for doctrines the commandments of men (cf. Matthew 15:7-9). Have you allowed religious confusion to blind you?

Family ties. Some people belong to a particular religion because their father, mother, or other family members were members of that religion. It was necessary for Saul of Tarsus to leave his family’s religion to obey Christ. Paul had many things to his credit from man’s standard including his family heritage in the Jews religion, but declared, “Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:7-8).

Please consider these ways in which we may become spiritually blind. I urge you not to allow any person or thing to blind you to the truth. Then, Jesus can say of you, as He did of His disciples in Matthew 13:16, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.” I pray that God will bless you by opening your eyes that you might see, believe, and obey the truth.