Monday, June 6, 2011

Blind Guides Lead to Dangerous Mistakes

by Dusty Rayburn
Locust Fork, Alabama, United States

Have you ever followed someone who had no clue where they were going or how to get there? Maybe you were the one leading the convoy hoping to find your way along the way… Such nonsense leads to disaster.

Jesus in Luke 6:39 asks the questions: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?” In Matthew 23:16, Jesus calls the leaders of the religious community, “blind guides”.

Matthew 23:16a (NIV)

16a “Woe to you, blind guides!

This declaration is followed by some examples of how they erred in their leadership regarding making oaths, but for now I want to focus on the general concept of blind leadership and leave the oaths for another post. As I was preparing for this post, I ran across the following commentary:

"It is sad to think how many are under the guidance of such as are themselves blind, who undertake to show others that way which they are themselves willingly ignorant of. His watchmen are blind (Isa. 56:10); and too often the people love to have it so, and say to the seers, See not. But the case is bad, when the leaders of the people cause them to err, Isa. 9:16." (Bible Study Tools, Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete): Matthew 23, http://www.biblestudytools.com)

To lead, we must know the way.

To be a Christian leader, we must be in proper covenant relationship with THE Way (Jesus). Only when we have been transformed by His mercy and grace are we able to reflect His Light and Truth. Only then are we capable of leading others to the Living Water.

Otherwise, we are blind to God’s will. His purpose is not our own. We as blind men would be attempting to lead others. The pharisees fell into this:

"Their seeking their own worldly gain and honour more than God’s glory put them upon coining false and unwarrantable distinction, with which they led the people into dangerous mistakes, [...]" (Bible Study Tools, Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete): Matthew 23,  http://www.biblestudytools.com)

Christian Leaders, we need to diligently keep our focus on a proper relationship with Christ lest we lose sight of the Way and lead others astray.

Have we fallen into blindness in our leadership?

Have we committed dangerous mistakes and led others to do the same?

Will we commit to renewing our relationship and allowing God to restore our vision?

Source: Reflections on a life of a Christian

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