Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 5 Study # 28
May 11, 2008
Lincolnton, NC
(435)
AV Translation:
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
1901 ASV Translation:
39 And he spake also a parable unto them, Can the blind guide the blind? shall they not both fall into a pit?
40 The disciple is not above his teacher: but every one when he is perfected shall be as his teacher.
Luke's Record:
- I. The Larger Picture.
- A. The issues of 6:39-49
- 1. What has "blindness" to do with Jesus' issues?
- 2. What has superiority to one's master to do with Jesus' issues?
- 3. What has pulling the mote out of one's brother's eyes to do with Jesus' issues?
- 4. What has a good/corrupt tree to do with Jesus' issues?
- 5. What has rejection of Jesus' teaching to do with Jesus' issues?
- B. The issues of the entire teaching section (6:20-49).
- 1. Poverty/wealth; hunger/fullness; weeping/laughing; and ostracism/acceptance: these are the beatitudes/woes.
- 2. Love your enemy; do good to them who hate you (bless them, pray for them and yield to their abuses); and give to those in need [i.e., treat others like you would like to be treated]: these are the issues of the next major section.
- 3. Be compassionate like your Father.
- 4. Do not judge; do not condemn; release; and give: these are the follow up issues.
- 5. Then the issues listed above come along.
- a. We can put 6:46-49 into a class of its own: Jesus' summation.
- b. That leaves the "parable" section (6:39-45).
- 1) The issue of this section is the problem of men thinking too highly of themselves.
- a) When the blind say "we see" their sins remain upon them (John 9:41).
- b) When the disciple thinks himself to be superior to his master, he thinks too much of himself.
- c) When the beam-laden eye thinks it sees a mote in the eye of another, it sees out of a heart of pride.
- 2) The problem is, at root, the essential nature of the person [This is the rationale for John's message having its starting point with "You generation of vipers..."].
- a) Trees bear according to their character.
- b) The fruit of a plant tells what it is.
- c) The heart of man determines his behavior.
- II. The "Blindness" Issue.
- A. There are three forms of blindness.
- 1. Those who think they can see while rejecting the entire issue of divine revelation.
- 2. Those who think they can see while, though adamant about the reality of divine revelation, they start from the "I am not a viper" point of view.
- 3. Those who think they can see while, though adamant about the reality of divine revelation and the truthfulness of the "men are vipers" doctrine, they continue to push to possess the glory of men by using every means including God and His Word.
- B. The three forms have one root: self-elevation; the pursuit of the desire to be superior to others so that one's desires are more important to him than his neighbor's needs.
- C. There is only one solution: the pursuit of the self-sacrificing compassion of the Father.
