Commandment 47: False Leaders
"Leave the Pharisees alone; let the blind lead the blind." Mt. 15:12-14
When we look at Jesus' dealings with the religious leaders of his day there are two things that become obvious:
1. They either did not know, or did not want to know, who he really was.
2. The disciples did not yet realize how Jesus' message would contrast with the establishment or how he would be rejected by them.
When prophesying of the coming Messiah, Isaiah speaks of his ministry producing trees of righteousness planted by the Lord to bring glory unto Him. (Isaiah 61:3) Messiah would lift the burdens of fallen man from the dust and restore him again to the freedom God had originally intended for him. In stark contrast Jesus says of the Pharisees: "For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." (Matt 23:4)
Verse 12 is an important key for revealing the error of the Pharisees and the harsh rebuttals with which Jesus confronted them. "But he answered and said, "Every plant, which my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."
Spirituality itself is appealing to someone who is looking for meaning to their life, but everything that is spiritual in nature is not necessarily acceptable to God.
By the time Jesus appeared on the scene, the faith which had been given to Abraham and defined during the ministry of Moses had become so bloated it was barely recognizable. They had taken the Divine Law and added 1500 of their own forms and traditions which they used to enforce their control over the life of the Jewish people. What God had planted on Sinai had slowly become a hybrid religion of mans traditions.
As the Lord had said to Isaiah: "Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not." (Isa. 6:9)
And yet the common people heard Jesus gladly. (Mk. 12:37) In light of this, Jesus instructs his disciples to leave the Pharisees alone and to basically ignore them.
The disciples soon found out why they had been so instructed by Jesus after they began to take the message of Christ to the world around them as Apostles.
Everywhere they went they ran into the hostility of legalistic Judaism. Much of the Apostle Paul's writings deal with untangling the new covenant from this mutant version of the first one. John the Baptist had said, "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." (Matt. 3:10)
Religion is man’s search for God, whereas Christianity is God finding man. In truth what Christ gave us was meant to be life, not religion. He didn't come to straighten things out, he came to redeem us from the fall, show us the Father, and bring all things under subjection to Him. Not through force, but by love.
Today we have our own Pharisees and false teachers and his instruction still stands: "Leave them alone. Let the blind lead the blind."
Those who want to use rules and regulations to control God's people are blind to genuine spirituality. Leave them alone. They will eventually fall into a ditch and, if possible, may take you with them. Those who seek to raise themselves up by exalting their own teachings and methods as exclusive or superior, leave them alone. Don't follow them or they will take you away from the true path.
We see great contrast in the Good Shepherd Jesus spoke of saying:
"And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." (John 10:4,5)
This is a true and dependable saying. You don't need to spend your life digging through the rubble of a thousand ideas. Follow Jesus. If truth is what you are seeking, He will lead you into all truth. It is the nature of Christ, the Good Shepherd, to guide his people in the way of truth. He who said to ignore the false teachers said also, "Follow me." This is how we find the straight path.
The Psalmist wrote:
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes." (Ps. 119:9-12) And again, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119:105)
Settle it in your heart that the Bible represents the Word of God and then set about to live what is written therein. The best way to prove God's Word is by living it.
In John 7 we read of Jews responding to Jesus teaching in the Temple during the Feast of Tabernacles:
"And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said: “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
Don't waste your life arguing with doubters about the teachings of the Bible. Leave that to the critical apologists. Live what the Bible teaches and that is the best proof of its truthfulness. If by doing so you find the fruit of your life to be peace, joy and love, what more could you ask for. Not to say that your life will be always coming up roses, but I believe that you will find that, no matter where life takes you, if you stick with Jesus, He will give you peace.
A minister friend of mine once told me of a Catholic nun he knew who had lived-in inner-city Chicago for over 50 years ministering to the poor. He once asked her if it was too dangerous a place for her to live. Her answer was simple: "The safest place for me to be is in the center of God's will." To that I say, amen and amen.
But how do I find God's will for my life. Don't I need spiritual leaders to guide me in the right path? one might ask. While spiritual leaders offer an invaluable service to someone who is young or immature in the faith, we must not become dependent solely upon others to be our link to God. In Romans chapter 12 Paul tells us the proper way to find God's will for our lives:
1. "Present your body a living sacrifice." - In other words, live as though you have donated yourself to God for his use and purpose.
2. "Holy, acceptable unto the Lord" - A spiritual life is a holy life because our God is holy. The Christian life is a sacred life which honors God and, when so lived, is acceptable to Him.
3. "Which is your reasonable service" - Modern translations say 'your spiritual act of worship', but it is in fact reasonable to do so also, considering what God has done for you.
4. "And be not conformed to this world" - You cannot please God and the world system at the same time. You must choose one or the other because they are in enmity against each other. As believers we seek the blessing and acceptance of our Heavenly Father and desire to become more like Christ in every way.
5. "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" - We are transformed as we devote ourselves to the study of God's word and the living of it. Jesus said the words which he spoke were both spirit and life. (John 6:63) It is God's Word and his Spirit that are working together to conform us into the image of his Son Jesus. We renew our minds by the washing of the water of the Word of God.
6. "That ye may know what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” - When we do these things God will reveal his will and plan for our lives so that our lives can be fulfilling, fruitful and pleasing to Him.
Craig Marlatt