Blind Leading the Blind

Text: Luke 6:39; cf. Matthew 15:14

Opening: When the Guide Cannot See
Jesus set a short sentence in front of His disciples: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39). A guide without sight cannot keep his own footing, much less protect those who follow. This warning belongs in every generation because teachers shape souls, and followers share outcomes. The Lord calls for leaders whose sight comes from Scripture and for hearers who test every voice by the same light.

The Saying in Context
Luke places the proverb in the training of disciples. Jesus forms character, exposes hypocrisy, and teaches discernment. Matthew records the same reality when the Lord identifies Pharisees as “blind guides” after they elevated tradition over God’s command (Matthew 15:1–14). Their customs canceled the fifth commandment; their worship drifted into vanity (Matthew 15:6–9). Jesus told His disciples: “Let them alone,” because a sightless guide pulls a whole line into the pit (Matthew 15:14).

What Blindness Looks Like
Blindness in a teacher shows up in predictable ways. It appears when human tradition replaces God’s command (Matthew 15:6–9). It appears when confidence rests on status, numbers, or charisma instead of sound teaching (Colossians 2:8; 2 Timothy 4:3–4). It appears when moral rigor aims outward while the heart stays unexamined (Matthew 23:16–24). It appears when the message outruns the text and words go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6). A teacher may wear the language of devotion and still lack sight if the lamp of God’s word does not set the path (Psalm 119:105).

Why People Follow Blind Guides
People attach themselves to leaders who promise ease, confirm prejudice, or flatter the audience (Romans 16:17–18). Some chase novelty. Some prefer the comfort of tradition without testing it. Some avoid the effort of searching the Scriptures. Yet discernment remains a personal duty. The Bereans show the pattern: receive the word with readiness and examine the Scriptures daily to see whether things are so (Acts 17:11).

The Cost of Blind Guidance
Jesus did not present an inconvenience; He described a fall. A ditch swallows families, congregations, and entire communities when teachers and hearers drift from God’s word (Hosea 4:6). When leaders lack sight, discipline fails, doctrine frays, and holiness erodes. The ledger fills with avoidable harms: divided churches, hardened hearts, and souls unprepared for judgment (Matthew 7:22–27).

Tests for Sighted Guides
The Lord hands His people reliable tests. First, the fruit test: good trees bear good fruit; a teacher’s life and outcomes must reveal integrity, purity, and peace (Matthew 7:15–20). Second, the word test: teaching must fit the whole counsel of God, neither adding to nor taking away from what He has revealed (Deuteronomy 4:2; Acts 20:27; Revelation 22:18–19). Third, the humility test: a faithful teacher submits to Scripture, welcomes correction, and refuses flattery (James 3:1; Isaiah 66:2). Fourth, the accountability test: shepherds watch for souls and will give account; followers imitate their faith only as they speak the word of God (Hebrews 13:7, 17).

Your Responsibility as a Hearer—and as a Teacher
Every Christian carries responsibility in this parable. Hear the Lord’s words, measure every message by Scripture, and hold fast to what proves true (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Refuse voices that lead away from plain commands (Romans 16:17). If you teach, speak where the Bible speaks and keep silence where it is silent (1 Corinthians 4:6). Traditions may serve as tools; they never rise to the rank of law (Matthew 15:9). When a practice cannot show its warrant from the Lord, retire it. When a command stands in the text, arrange your steps beneath it.

Recovering Sight
If you find that you have followed a blind guide, turn. Return to the Scriptures. Seek out elders and teachers who open the text and stay within it (Nehemiah 8:8; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16–17). Where harm was done, make restitution and set a better course (Luke 19:8–9). Confidence grows again when the lamp is relit and placed where it belongs.

A Church That Sees
A congregation gains clarity when its leaders love truth and its people read their Bibles. Prayers turn specific. Teaching gains depth. Corrections come with patience and proof. Evangelism carries Scripture to the doorstep. Decisions move at the pace of understanding, not the pressure of novelty. Unity grows around conviction formed by God’s word (Philippians 1:9–11).

Conclusion: Choose Sight, Avoid the Ditch
Two lines move through the world: one behind teachers who see by the word, one behind teachers who move in darkness. The Lord’s proverb stands: both lines reach the guide’s destination. Attach your steps to the light. Seek leaders who open the Scriptures. Become a person others can safely follow because your eyes stay fixed on what God has said.

Exhaustive Sermon Outline

• Text and Aim

  • Luke 6:39; Matthew 15:14 — A proverb that warns hearers and teachers; outcomes match guidance.

• Context

  • Luke 6: disciple formation and discernment.

  • Matthew 15: traditions elevated over command; worship becomes vain.

• Marks of Blindness

  • Tradition displacing command (Matthew 15:6–9).

  • Philosophy and empty deceit (Colossians 2:8).

  • Itching ears and audience-driven messages (2 Timothy 4:3–4).

  • Moral show without heart obedience (Matthew 23:16–24).

  • Teaching beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6).

• Why People Follow

  • Flattery and smooth talk (Romans 16:17–18).

  • Love of novelty or comfort; neglect of Scripture (Acts 17:11).

• Consequences

  • Both fall into the ditch; homes and churches suffer (Hosea 4:6; Matthew 7:26–27).

• Tests for Sighted Guides

  • Fruit (Matthew 7:15–20).

  • Submission to Scripture; no additions or subtractions (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18–19).

  • Humility, accountability (James 3:1; Hebrews 13:7, 17).

• Duties for Hearers and Teachers

  • Prove all things; hold fast to good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

  • Avoid divisive error (Romans 16:17).

  • Handle the word accurately (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16–17).

  • Speak where Scripture speaks; be silent where it is silent (1 Corinthians 4:6).

• Recovery Steps

  • Repent, return to the text, seek faithful shepherds, repair harms (Luke 19:8–9).

• Appeal

  • Choose sighted leadership; become sighted yourself by daily Scripture.

Call to Action
Test the teaching you hear this week. Open your Bible and trace each claim to chapter and verse. Schedule time with an elder or teacher who will study with you. Retire one practice that lacks Scriptural footing. Commit to daily reading so your steps follow the light.

Scripture Reference List (with brief notes)
Luke 6:39 — Core proverb: blind guides lead to shared ruin.
Matthew 15:1–14 — Tradition elevated; worship becomes vain; “blind guides.”
Matthew 23:16–24 — “Blind guides” exposed; emphasis on heart obedience.
Matthew 7:15–20 — Fruit test for teachers.
1 Corinthians 4:6 — Stay within what is written.
Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18–19 — No additions or subtractions to God’s word.
Colossians 2:8 — Beware of philosophy and empty deceit.
2 Timothy 4:3–4 — Itching ears gather teachers to taste.
Romans 16:17–18 — Mark and avoid divisive error; smooth talk deceives.
Acts 17:11 — Bereans: eager hearing and daily examination.
2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16–17 — Handle the word accurately; Scripture equips for every good work.
Hebrews 13:7, 17 — Remember leaders who speak the word; obey and be led for your soul’s good.
Hosea 4:6 — Destruction follows lack of knowledge.
Psalm 119:105 — God’s word as lamp and light.
Luke 19:8–9 — Restitution as a mark of true course correction.

Prepared by David Hersey of the church of Christ at Granby, MO