12  The Danger of Following the Wrong Spiritual Teacher  (Luke 6:39–49)

And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. 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? Or 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. For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundationon the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” (6:39–49)

In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus closed this powerful sermon by exhorting His hearers to “enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13–14). As the references to two gates, two ways, two destinations, and two groups illustrate, the choice every person faces is between heaven and hell; between salvation and damnation; between the only true religion and the false one in a myriad of forms.

Making that all-important choice more confusing and complicated are false teachers “who,” Jesus warned, “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (v. 15). Motivated by greed (Isa. 56:11; Jer. 6:13; 8:10; Mic. 3:5; Phil. 3:18–19; 2 Peter 2:1–3, 14), these emissaries of Satan, wearing the wool robe of the prophets, try to prevent people from entering the narrow path to heaven and to steer them instead onto the broad path to hell.

God’s attitude toward false teachers stands in sharp contrast to the inclusiveness and tolerance of error that pervades contemporary evangelicalism. Scripture denounces them as blind men, mute dogs unable to bark; dreamers lying down who love to slumber; ignorant (Isa. 56:10); demented fools (Hos. 9:7); reckless, treacherous men (Zeph.3:4); ravenous wolves (Matt. 7:15); blind guides of the blind (Matt. 15:14; cf. 23:16); hypocrites (Matt. 23:13); fools (v 17); whitewashed tombs full of bones (v. 27); serpents; a brood of vipers (v. 33); thieves and robbers (John 10:8); savage wolves (Acts 20:29); slaves of their own appetites (Rom. 16:18); hucksters peddling the word of God (2 Cor. 2:17); false apostles; deceitful workers (2 Cor. 11:13); servants of Satan (v 15); purveyors of a different gospel (Gal. 1:6–8); dogs; evil workers (Phil. 3:2); enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18); conceited and understanding nothing (1 Tim. 6:4); men of depraved minds deprived of the truth (v.5); men who have gone astray from the truth (2 Tim. 2:18); captives of the devil (v. 26); deceivers (2 John 7); ungodly persons (Jude 4); and unreasoning animals (v 10). As a result, the Bible also pronounces severe judgment on them (Deut. 13:5; 18:20; Jer. 14:15; Gal. 1:8–9; Rev. 2:20–23).

The reason for such seemingly harsh language is the deadly danger false teachers pose because they engage in Satan’s most distinctivewickedness and the most devastating sin; they lead people astray from the truth of God’s Word (Isa. 3:12; 9:16; Jer. 14:13; 23:26–27, 32; 50:6; Matt. 23:13, 15; 24:4–5, 24; Luke 11:46, 52; Rom. 16:17–18; Col. 2:4, 8, 18; 1 Thess. 2:14–16; 2 Tim. 3:13; Titus 1:10; 2 John 7)—including the need for repentance from sin (Jer. 6:14;8:11; 23:21–22; Lam.2:14; Ezek. 13:10, 16, 22). Left unchecked, the demon doctrines they peddle (1 Tim. 4:1) will ravage souls and corrupt the church (Acts 20:29–30; 2 Tim. 2:17–18), lulling many into a false sense of security regarding their salvation.

The subject of Jesus’ sermon is true discipleship. In verses 20–26 He defined disciples as repenters, overwhelmed with their sin and desperate for the righteousness only God can give. True disciples are also marked by love (vv.27–38), even for those who hate and persecute them. True discipleship is synonymous with submission to the lordship of Christ. This section makes that important point in a negative way since following Jesus Christ as Lord means avoiding false spiritual leaders. The Lord first described the character of those deceivers. He then challenged His hearers to make the most important decision of their lives—between the saving truth of God and the damning lies of Satan; between submitting to Him, or following false teachers.

THE DECEIVERS

And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. 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? Or 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. For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” (6:39–45)

Four characteristics of false teachers mark them as dangerous and unreliable spiritual guides: they are blind, earthly, hypocrites, and evil.

FALSE TEACHERS ARE BLIND

And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? (6:39)

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 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).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. 15:14), while in 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 the 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).

FALSE TEACHERS ARE EARTHLY

A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. (6:40)

Like the first description of false teachers above, this pithy statement is also self-evident (see the similar statements in Matt. 10:24; John13:16; 15:20). A pupil is not able to rise above his teacher, since a teacher cannot impart knowledge that he or she does not possess. Teachers’ limitations and errors will inevitably be mirrored in their students.

Since false teachers neither come from God nor know the way to God, they cannot bring people to Him. In ancient days students often followed their teachers regularly, and received instruction in the context of daily life experiences. That allowed teachers to reproduce themselves in their students in practical, not just theoretical ways, but even those fully trained in that manner could at best only be like their teacher. If he did not understand the truth of God, neither would they. As Hosea said, “Like people, like priest”(Hos.4:9).

On the other hand, those who follow Jesus will become like Him. “We know that when He appears we will be like Him,” John wrote, “because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2).

FALSE TEACHERS ARE HYPOCRITES

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? Or 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. (6:41–42)

This humorous anecdote illustrates a very serious issue. In addition to being spiritually blind and ignorant of divine truth, false teachers also lack integrity; they are hypocrites. They presume to be able to provide others with the answers to their spiritual questions, but are void of the truth, even for themselves. In a cartoon-like illustration, Jesus pictures a hypocrite looking at the speck that is in his brother’s eye, but failing to notice the log that is in his own eye. The words used for the objects make the false teachers’ deceptive pretense even more ludicrous. Kaphos (speck) refers to a small piece of wood, chaff, or straw, while dokos (beam) describes a large beam, such as those used in the floor or roof of a building.

The Lord’s illustration graphically depicts the absurdity of false teachers saying to someone, “Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,” while failing to see the log that is in their own eye. Blinded by the massive sin of self-righteousness, false teachers are in no position to deal with the lesser sins of others. They cannot overcome their own sin, since false religion cannot restrain the flesh. Yet they stillpresumptuously view themselves as “a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, [and] a teacher of the immature” (Rom. 2:19–20). You hypocrite, Jesus scathingly said to them, 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. The Lord repeatedly denounced the Jewish religious leaders as hypocrites, who “outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly … are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt. 23:28; cf. vv. 13–15, 23, 25, 27, 29; 6:2, 5, 16; 15:7; 22:18; Luke 12:1, 56; 13:15). Only by confessing and repenting of their own sin of self-righteousness would they be able to see clearly the sins of others.

Unlike false teachers, Jesus is the sinless (Heb. 4:15), spotless (1 Peter 1:19), undefiled (Heb. 7:26) one in whom the Father is well-pleased (Matt. 3:17). Consequently, His penetrating vision is crystal clear, allowing Him to see every trace of sin (cf. Rev. 1:14). And it is through His sacrificial death alone that sin can be atoned for (Heb. 9:26; 10:12).

FALSE TEACHERS ARE EVIL

For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. (6:43–45)

Beneath the self-righteous façade of false teachers lies deadly evil. Jesus used another self-evident illustration, this one from the realm of agriculture, to make this point. The fruit a tree produces is an unfailing indicator of that tree’s health. Thus there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. Good trees do not produce bad, inedible fruit, nor do bad trees produce good, edible fruit. Taking the image one step further, the Lord added the equally self-evident fact that each tree is known by its own fruit. Plants produce fruit according to their nature, therefore men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.

In this parable, the bad trees are false teachers, as Matthew’s parallel account makes clear. In Matthew 7:15 the Lord warned, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Then in verse 16 He used the same illustration recordedby Luke: “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?” thus connecting it to the false teachers of verse 15. Similarly, in Matthew 12:33 Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.” Then in the next verse He applied that statement to them: “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart”(v. 34).

The application of the parable is clear. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil. Just as trees produce fruit in keeping with their nature, so also do people. The hearts of the righteous, having been transformed by the regenerating work of salvation (Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:25–27; John 3:5; Titus 3:5), hold good treasure; the hearts of the unregenerate hold evil treasure. Just as what the fruit trees bear reveals their nature, so also what people say reveals the nature of their heart, since the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart (cf. Prov. 10:32; Matt. 15:18). How people speak most clearly reveals what is in their heart.

Those who follow false spiritual teachers will manifest the same corruption that they do. Only those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ can produce the fruit of repentance (Luke 3:8) that marks a transformed life (2 Cor. 5:17).

THE DECISION

“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” (6:46–49)

Jesus closed His sermon by challenging His hearers to make a choice. People face decisions throughout their lives, choices about diet, medical care, lifestyle, career, relationships, and education, to name a few. But the one that far overshadows all the rest is the choice that fixes a person’s eternal destiny The concluding parable of the Sermon on the Mount reveals two aspects of that decision: its nature and its consequences.

THE NATURE OF THE DECISION

“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (6:46)

Religion thrives in the world because people want to live after death in heaven, however they define it. Whether conceived of as the nirvana of Buddhism, the paradise of Islam, the eternal progression to godhood of Mormonism, or the freedom from the cycle of reincarnation and union with Brahman of Hinduism, religions offer some form of bliss, happiness, fulfillment, or reward on a higher plane after this life.

In this age of tolerance and rejection of absolute truth (especially religious truth), there is a widespread belief that anyone who is sincere in their faith will go to heaven. Even many professing evangelicals hold to an inclusive view of the gospel. God, they maintain, will accept those who are sincere in their religious commitment, even if they never leave their false religions, or profess faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, some even argue that they may actually be aided in coming to God by those false religions.

But the gospel is uncompromisingly exclusive. Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). The early Christians proclaimed the truth that “there is salvation in no one else [other than Jesus Christ]; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

If there were any religion apart from biblical Christianity close enough to the truth that its followers might get to heaven, it would be Judaism. After all, Christians and Jews have much in common. Both believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Both believe that God is holy, sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, creator, sustainer, and judge. Both believe in the reality of sin and the need for righteousness. Both believe in virtues such as humility, honesty, kindness, and forgiveness. And Jews believe in the Old Testament Scriptures.

But it was to people who held those very beliefs that Jesus addressed this sermon. Many were fascinated by Him, as evidenced by the huge crowds that followed Him wherever He went. Some even identified themselves as His disciples and affirmed Him to be in some sense their master or teacher. Yet despite all of that, many fell short of salvation because, as the Lord’s pointed question “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” makes clear, they failed to obey Him.

Submission to Jesus Christ as Lord is a non-negotiable element of true salvation. Romans 10:9 says plainly” If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (cf. 1 Cor. 12:3). Saving faith is obedient faith. Acts 6:7 relates that “a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.” Three times in Romans the apostle Paul spoke of obedience in connection with saving faith (1:5; 15:18; 16:26). Jesus is “to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:9), and Peter wrote that the goal of salvation is “to obey Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2). Those who love Jesus will keep His commandments (John 14:15, 23; 15:10; cf. 1 John 5:3). On the other hand, “He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36), because “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, ‘will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Matt. 7:21), Paul pronounced a curse on those who reject Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 16:22). “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves,” warned James (James 1:22). To have God on one’s lips but not in one’s heart is profane blasphemy.

The non-negotiable requirements of confessing sin, repenting of it, and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Savior are necessary for salvation. Those who fail in those respects but trust in good works and religious ritual will not see heaven, no matter how sincere their religious beliefs.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE DECISION

Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” (6:47–49)

This unforgettable illustration reveals the inescapable consequences of the decision one makes about Jesus Christ. The one who comes to Him and hears His words and acts on them … is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock. The phrase dug deep alludes to the deep heart searching that marks true repentance. The only foundation for salvation is Jesus Christ(1 Cor. 3:11), while rock refers to God in the Old Testament (e.g., Deut. 32:4, 15, 18; 2 Sam. 22:2–3; 23:3; Pss. 18:2; 28:1; 78:35; 95:1; Isa. 26:4; 30:29) and Christ in the New (1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Peter 2:5–8).

On the other hand, the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation. This religious edifice appeared superficially to be identical to the first house, and was located in the same region, since the same storm affected both. As was illustrated in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:24–30), false believers are often indistinguishable from true believers until judgment comes and sweeps their self-righteous religious edifice away. But when the flood and torrent of divine judgment and fury burst against each house the results were dramatically different. When the storm of judgment hit the house built on the solid foundation of salvation in Christ it could not shake it, because it had been well built. Those who build their lives on the foundation of the gospel have nothing to fear from the storm of judgment, since Jesus promised, “Truly truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24; cf. 3:16, 18; Rom. 8:1; 1 John 4:17).The other religious house, having no grounding in Christ and the gospel, could not stand. When the torrent of divine judgment burst against it … immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.

The choice every person faces is clear. Those who follow the blueprint provided by false teachers and foolishly build their spiritual houses on the sand of human achievement will be swept into hell by the flood of divine judgment. But those who build on the solid foundation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will not be shaken (cf. Rom. 9:33; 10:11; 1 Peter 2:6).The hymn “The Solid Rock” expresses their joyous confidence: