Meeting guide · command 48

Let The Blind Lead the Blind

Do not follow spiritually blind guides; leave teaching God has not planted rather than being ruled by offended authority.

Read

Read the complete passage aloud.

Primary passage

Matthew 15:12–14

12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 But he answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

World English Bible

When the disciples report that Pharisees are offended, Jesus warns that blind guides and their followers share the danger of the pit.

Discuss

Listen carefully to what Jesus says.

  1. What does Jesus command?
  2. What does this passage reveal about Him?
  3. Where do we resist this command?
  4. What is difficult or unclear?
  5. How can we recognize spiritual blindness without assuming that everyone who disagrees with us is a blind guide?

Practice

Choose one specific act of obedience.

Evaluate one guiding voice by Jesus' teaching and fruit. If it repeatedly leads away from truth, take a clear step back and seek trustworthy counsel.

Return

Come back and discuss what happened.

What guidance did you reassess, and what safer or truer direction did you choose?

Close together

Pray. Then prepare to teach.

Pray

Jesus, open our eyes and guard us from blind guidance. Give us humility to receive correction and courage to leave harmful teaching.

Teach

Clarify that 'leave them' addresses blind religious guidance in this setting; it is not a casual command to abandon every difficult person.