EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
8/06/2026 9:28 PM
My
Worship Time Focus:
“The
Deceivers”
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: Luke 6:39-45
Message
of the verses: “39 Now He also spoke a
parable to them: “A person who is blind cannot guide another who
is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A student
is not above the teacher; but everyone, when he has been fully trained, will be
like his teacher. 41 Why do you look at 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 there is no good tree that bears bad
fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit. 44 For
each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather
figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 The
good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is
good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings
forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”
John MacArthur begins by writing “Four characteristics
of false teachers mark them as dangerous and unreliable spiritual guides: they
are blind, earthly, hypocrites, and evil.”
False
Teachers Are Blind
“39 Now
He also spoke a parable to them: “A person who is blind cannot guide another who
is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?
“Parabole (Parable) can refer to an
extended analogy (cf. 12:16; 15:3; 18:9; 19:11), but also to a simple proverb
(cf. 4:23; 5:36), as it does here. This
parable reflects a problem that was a problem that was all too familiar to the
people of Jesus’ day. Blindness was
common in the ancient world, as it still is today in various parts of the
world. Dangers were everywhere for the
blind, including unfenced quarries, crevices and precipices, and dry wells that
had not been covered or filled in with dirt.
The truth that a blind man cannot guide a blind man is
self-evident; since a blind man cannot see where he himself is going he cannot
safely or reliably lead another blind person.
The likely result is that they will both fall into a pit and be
severely injured or killed.
“Blindness is used metaphorically in
both the Old and New Testaments to describe being void of truth and lacking
spiritual insight (e. g., Isa. 42:7; 43:8; 44:18; Jer. 5:21; Ps. 82:5; Acts
26:18; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 2:11; Rev. 3:17).”
(e. g.,
Isa. 42:7; 43:8; 44:18; Jer. 5:21; Ps. 82:5; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John
2:11; Rev. 3:17).”
“7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out
the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.”
“8 ¶ Bring out the people who are blind, yet have
eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears!”
“18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he
has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they
cannot understand.’
“21 "Hear this, O foolish and senseless
people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.”
“5 They have neither knowledge nor
understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth
are shaken.”
“18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from
darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”
“4 In their case the god of this world has
blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
“11 But whoever hates his brother is in the
darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going,
because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
“17 For you say,, I am rich, I have prospered,
and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind,
and naked.”
“The
spiritual principle is obvious: those who follow leaders who do not know the
way to God’s kingdom will never get there.
Instead, they will all fall into the pit of hell. Jesus was referring in particular to Israel’s
blind religious guides, the scribes and Pharisees. On another occasion, He used this same
parable of the blind leading the blind to refer specifically to them (Matt.
15:1 4), while His diatribe against the Pharisees Jesus repeatedly excoriated
them for their spiritual blindness (Matt. 23:16, 17, 19, 24, 26). The inevitable outcome was that they led
their followers to the same hell to which they were headed (Matt. 23:15).
“On the other hand Jesus is the ‘way,
and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through [Him]’
(John 14:6; cf. Acts 4:12). Because He
is the ‘Light of the world’ those who follow Him ‘will not walk in darkness,
but will have the Light of life’ (John 8:12; cf. 9:5; 12:46; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess.
5:5; 1 Peter 2:9). Christ alone opens the
eyes of the spiritually blind (Luke 4:18).”
(John
8:12; cf. 9:5; 12:46; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:5; 1 Peter 2:9)
“12 ¶ Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the
light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have
the light of life.’”
“5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light
of the world.’”
“46 I have come into the world as light, so that
whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”
“8 for at one time you were darkness, but now
you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light”
“5 For you are all children of light, children
of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”
“9 But you are a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may
proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light.”
(Luke
4:18)
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty those who are oppressed,”
8/6/2026
9:57 PM
No comments:
Post a Comment