12Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Having rebuked religious thought of His day, the disciples now came to Jesus with the implication of what He said.
15:12
Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended [scandalized] when they heard this saying?”
When the disciples discovered that the religious delegation was offended by Jesus’ remarks, He compared them to something outside God’s plan and to blind leaders of the blind. This scandalized their integrity. False teachers are always offended at truth.
15:13
But He answered and said, “Every plant [false doctrine] which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.
The basic belief of current religious leaders disintegrated underneath them with Jesus’ teaching. Jesus “uprooted” their false teaching, leaving it to die in the sun. God never gave their distorted teaching to them.
15:14
Let them alone.
Jesus did not concern Himself with the opinion of religious leaders. He did not seek their approval. Neither did He care whether His teaching offended them.
They are blind leaders of the blind.
The religious delegation was spiritually blind.
And if the blind [doctrinally] leads the blind [doctrinally], both will fall into a ditch.”
Doctrinally blind religious leaders will lead their followers into spiritual disaster.
PRINCIPLE:
Doctrinal blindness always leads to disaster.
APPLICATION:
True belief does not rest on man but upon God. Religious ceremony does not impress God. God does not want our religious rigmarole but true worship based on true belief. This is confusion of means and end. There are many ways to worship God, but it is worship based on truth that God desires.
