The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 15 Part 4 Follow Jesus Christ By Trusting His Word

Spiritually blind Pharisees led people astray by false teaching and they would all fall into a ditch.

Matthew 15:14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 

Jesus said to "let them alone" and not be troubled at their rage. 

This is the idea of giving them up to their own destructive path since they chose to stay on the broad way that leads to eternal condemnation (See Matthew 7:12-14).

The Pharisees were corrupt trees that could only produce evil fruit (See Matthew 7:15-20).

They were those who built their homes upon sinking sand that cannot endure (See Matthew 7:24-27).

Thus, the Pharisees are spiritually blind leaders who lead a group of blind followers and who will inevitably fall into a deep ditch.

Jesus did not mean that we do not confront error, for He confronted error each time that He encountered it.

We must confront error like Jesus did, using the truth of scripture to refute false teaching and perverted religious beliefs.

Jesus instructed His disciples to have nothing to say, or do with the Pharisees.

They were not to be troubled over their anger and resentment because this would hinder gospel ministry.

Pharisees and scribes were greatly attached to their man made traditions and this is why they were indignant. 

The idea of the blind leaders leading other blind people is that Pharisees had great influence over the multitude of Jews. 

They were committed to man made traditions and false religion and chose to turn away from the gospel of Christ.

One blind man, attempting to lead other blind men, would fall into every ditch that was in the path. 

So it is with religious teachers. 

If the Pharisees were ignorant and blind, while trying to lead the ignorant multitude, both would be destroyed. 

This was another reason for rebuking their errors and rooting up the plants which God had not planted. By confronting gross spiritual error, Jesus wanted to save the deceived multitude.

You may recall that Jesus healed a blind man in John chapter nine. It was an astounding miracle and the council of the Pharisees called this man to account for his healing.

I suggest reading the whole chapter and I will cite some texts to notice along the way.

First, Jesus saw this blind man sitting along the way and His disciples thought that this man was blind due to his own sins or the sins of his parents.

This view was commonly held among Jews in Jesus' time.

However, Jesus said that this man was blind so that the mighty work of God could be manifest to the people.

Jesus then stated that as long as He walked this earth, He was the light of the world and what better way to demonstrate it than by giving sight to a blind man? (See John 9:1-5).

Jesus proceeded to heal the blind man and instructed him to go wash in the pool of Siloam.

When the blind man obeyed Jesus' instructions, he received sight! (See John 9:6-7).

This mighty miracle caused quite a stir among the people. 

Some doubted whether this was the blind man that they knew and others testified that it certainly was the same man who was blind from birth (See John 9:8-12).

At this point the people brought the man who was blind to the Pharisees because it was the sabbath day when Jesus healed him, and by the tradition of man, this was a illegal act!

The Pharisees began questioning the blind man who once again gave a testimony to how Jesus healed his blindness.

Some claimed that Jesus was not a man from God because He healed on the sabbath day, while other Pharisees questioned how a sinner could do such mighty miracle, causing a rift among the Pharisees (See John 9:13-16).

Once more the Pharisees asked the blind man who was healed what he thought of Jesus, and he did not hesitate. He testified "He is a prophet" (See John 9:17).

However, the Pharisees kept rejecting testimony from the blind man who was healed.

They sought to cast doubt upon his character and brought his parents in for interrogation saying "Is this your son whom ye say was born blind?" 

His parents said that he was indeed born blind but that they did not know how he received his sight. (See John 9:18-22).

John 9:24  Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. 

Unbelief gripped the Pharisee's hearts and they demanded that the blind man healed by Jesus confess that Christ was a sinner. 

This would amount blasphemy against the Son of God.

John 9:25  He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. 

Once again, the blind man gave a clear witness to the deity of Jesus Christ.

He said he did not know anything about Jesus being a sinner or not. 

However, he was absolutely certain of this fact. "Whereas I was blind, now I see!"

A more vivid example of God at work cannot be imagined and this shows how entrenched unbelief blinds sinners to God's truth.

John 9:26-27 Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?  27  He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? 

This is the fourth time that the Pharisees have interrogated the blind man healed by Jesus and each time he told them the facts about how he was healed.

The blind man who was healed pointed out that he has already answered their questions but they would not listen to him.

Then he asked them "Do you want to hear it again? Are you going to be his (Christ's) disciples?" 

These words were a stinging rebuke to their hardened hearts and they were infuriated with the blind man.

John 9:28-29  Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. 29  We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. 

They reviled the blind man healed by Jesus which means they yelled and screamed hateful things at this man who was telling them the truth.

They claimed to be Moses' disciples but they violated God's law with man manmade traditions such as teaching that children did not have to care for aged parents.

They condemned themselves by stating that God spoke through Moses and yet they transgressed His commands given by Moses!

John 9:30-33  The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. 31  Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. 32  Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33  If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. 

This blind man healed by Jesus is a wonderful example of telling others what Christ did to save us and how He changed our lives since our conversion to Him.

The blind man said that is was remarkable that the Pharisees claimed they did not know where Jesus was from and yet this same Jesus healed his blindness, which was clearly a work of God. 

Then the blind man healed by Jesus gave another amazing testimony of truth.

He said that this is a fact that everyone knows. God does not hear sinners.

However, those who worship God and do His will are heard by God.

Since creation no man has ever been able to heal a blind man and the only logical conclusion is that Jesus is of God or He could not do anything.

John 9:34  They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. 

The blind man healed by Jesus suffered the wrath and rage of the Pharisees and they cast him out of the synagogue.

They refused to hear and heed his truthful testimony.

John 9:35-38  Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36  He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37  And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38  And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 

When Jesus heard what happened He sought out the blind man whom He healed.

Jesus asked him "Do you believe on the Son of God?"

The blind man said, "Who is he Lord, that I might believe on him?"

This was a good question because he had not yet seen Jesus since he was healed.

Jesus told the blind man that he was speaking with the Son of God!

No hesitation on the healed blind man's part for he said clearly and with faith, "Lord, I believe" and then he worshipped Jesus.

What happened next is why I am connecting this text from John's gospel with Jesus' teaching about the blind leading the blind into a ditch.

John 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 

The Pharisees were already enraged by faithful testimony from the blind man healed by Jesus.

Notice what Jesus said in their presence.

He came to judge sin in the world. 

Part of Jesus' judgment is exposing religious hypocrites who think they are right with God and "see" what is right and true.

Since they claimed to be the only ones who "see" what is right, they imputed sin to all who disagreed with their view.

Thus, Jesus came so that those who claimed to see the truth, would be blinded.

Jesus said He was come to manifest and execute the just judgment of God:

He did this by giving sight to the blind, and by being a shining light to the Gentiles who sit in darkness.

Jesus referred to those who are blind and ignorant by sin as those whose minds have been darkened.

He did this removing the true light from religious hypocrites who pretended to make a proper use of it, while they abused the mercy of God.

It is as if Jesus said “I came to declare the condition of men, to show them their duty toward God and the danger if they ignore Him. My coming will have this effect, that some will be regenerated and saved, and some will stand more deeply condemned before God.”

The latter was certainly the case for the hateful, religious hypocrites like the Pharisees.

Pharisees were blind leaders of people blinded by traditions of elders and false teaching. 

John 9:40-41  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? 41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. 

Some Pharisees were present when Jesus spoke these words and they asked if He thought they were blind.

Jesus said that if they were truly blind, they would have no sin.

These Pharisees understood Christ as speaking of blindness in a spiritual sense, and wished to know if He considered them in that state.

Pharisees thought that they alone supposed they had a monopoly on truth but they were proud, self-confident, and despisers of God's truth.

They were guilty, and their sin remained unpardoned. 

People’s sins will always be unpardoned while they are proud, and self-sufficient, and confident of their own wisdom. 

All who come with humble hearts to confess their ignorance and their transgressions, will find that God will forgive, enlighten, and guide them on the path to heaven (See Isaiah 57:15).

The reason why they were condemned is that they were not disposed to receive the truth.

We see that pride and self-confidence are the sources of condemnation.

We see that if people are condemned at judgment day, they will be to blame, not God.

Pharisees claimed to have superior knowledge of the law of God. 

They pretended to understand the law respecting the Sabbath better than Jesus, and condemned Him for healing on that day.

Yet, the same ones made God's commands of no effect by elevating traditions of the elders higher than scripture from God.

Thus, Jesus said their sin remained unforgiven and they would be held to account by God.

Romans 3:1-2  What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2  Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

Paul wrote to Christians living in Rome and part of his letter to that church was explaining why the gospel was received by Gentiles but generally rejected by the Jewish people.

Here the apostle tells us the advantages they enjoyed and this would be the same advantage they had when Jesus walked among them.

What was the primary benefit the Jewish people had compared to all other people?

The scriptures which were committed to their care by God, so that they could live according to His Word and share His Word with other people.

Do you see the connection for Christians today? 

We have been richly blessed by having copies of the Word of God.

God preserved His Word so that we might live according to what He says. 

He gave us the scriptures so that we might rightly worship Him. 

We are to use the scriptures to tell others about God and salvation through repentant faith in Christ.

This sums up the Great Commission Jesus gave to His disciples, and by extension, to us.

I pray that we devote ourselves to learning God's Word so that our mind is renewed and our will brought into alignment with the instructions God gave us.

I pray that we determine to worship God in spirit and in truth each day that we live.

I pray that we will share Christ and His mighty salvation with those who are lost.

Bob