Luke 6:39–49 (ESV)
39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
It was 1895. A football game was being played between North Carolina and Georgia. It was a grueling battle and neither team had been able to score a touchdown. North Carolina had the ball but was forced to punt it away. When the play began, the Georgia defense was able to get past the North Carolina linemen and were about to block the punt when the punter did something unusual…, and illegal; he threw the ball to a teammate who caught it and ran 70 yards for the game’s only touchdown. It should have been ruled as an Illegal play and called back, but it wasn’t, and North Carolina won the game (the referee later admitted that he didn’t see the punter throw the ball).
In the stands that day was John Heisman, the legendary college football coach who saw what happened and began to advocate for a change in the rules that would was later be hailed as the salvation of football as the game of football at that time had degenerated into little more than a dangerous brawl between teams.
The forward pass completely altered the game of football and breathed new life into the dying game.
In our passage, Jesus gives these amazing and rememberable word pictures to the people listening to Him. The point each picture makes is directing people to the understanding that this new life in the kingdom of God requires a complete change of heart; the old ways just won’t get you the new life promised by Jesus.
The blind leading the blind is a warning not to follow the teaching of others who say that they can guide you. Their guidance will just get you into a hole Jesus said.
Students can’t advance beyond their teachers; all the student becomes is just a copy of that teacher.
The point of the picture of the speck and the plank is aimed at the Pharisees who are so insistent on Jews following each speck of the rules and regulations that they are missing the law’s big plank; to be a light to all nations.
The point of the parable of the houses and foundations is for people to build the house of their life on the foundation that will hold in spite of the flood that comes to everyone.
At the heart of each little story is the call of Jesus to break out of the old patterns and practices which never led people into the life which God intends, and instead to break into the new life on offer through Jesus.
But this new life requires a change of heart which completely transforms a person, altering their attitudes and actions as their vision becomes aligned with and centered upon Jesus Himself.
In his commentary on this passage, N.T. Wright asks some hard questions of us today. “Are we today so keen on looking for specks in other people’s eyes that we can’t see the planks in our own? Do our plans and schemes look good on the outside but leave the heart untouched [the trees and the fruit they bear]? Are we building without a foundation?”
Good questions for us to wrestle with personally and for the church as well.
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers.
Scott