Blind Guides, Logs, and Fruit

Scripture: Luke 6:39-45

39 Then Jesus gave the following illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch? 40 Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. (Luke 6:39-40 NLT)

Jesus called the Pharisees “blind guides”. The big lesson here is that we must be careful with whom we associate and whose leadership we follow. We’re constantly being influenced in our attitudes and our character by the people to whom we’re listening. If we keep learning their ways, we’ll become just like them. They’ll end up falling in the ditch and we’ll fall in right behind them. One of the prayers God hears most from me is, “Father, don’t  let me hurt anyone or lead them astray!”

41 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 42 How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. (Luke 6:41-42 NLT)

This is a pride and hypocrisy thing, isn’t it? This is being blinded by deception and error and thinking the problem is always in other people. This is “Fix yourself before you try to fix others!” We must have an attitude of repentance that allows us to keep listening and learning, growing and changing. An attitude of repentance is being open and pliable in God’s hands, willing to let go of the old and grab hold of the new and keep changing. This is being humble, knowing I don’t have all the answers.

43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thorn bushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. (Luke 6:43-45 NLT)

What’s in my heart will eventually become plain to everyone. A tree is known by its fruit. That’s how each of us will finally be known—by our fruit. We don’t have to strain and strive to produce good fruit. When we make sure our heart is right and good and the fruit we produce will be tasted by all to be good.

Prayer:

Father, I pray with David, “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, And renew a right spirit within me!” In Jesus’ Name!