39 And
He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the
blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his
teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck
in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your
brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when
you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite!
First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to
remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye. 43 “For a good tree does not bear
bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its
own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather
grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good
treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil
treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart
his mouth speaks.
Vs. 39 And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?
Having commended us all to having generous spirits; especially in our own assessments of others. Jesus now warns us that being blind to our own faults and failings will only lead us to cause others who are also blinded to the same things in their lives to likewise faulter and fall (vs. 39). Thus, too selfish and self-serving people (or unforgiving people) will only justify and or encourage each other in continuing to do the same. Not realizing that it will only lead to the harm of them both. That is what the blind leading the blind leads too.
Vs. 40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.”
And so, to corrects this Jesus says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” Thus, if you want a true measure of your own Christian faith life and walk don’t look to others like yourself, look to Jesus Christ to see if you are being loving and generous and kind; or to see if you are being forgiving and merciful when wronged, or caring and compassionate when needed. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ for both the Strength and the Power to do all things that are Christian (Phil. 4:13) for He alone is our Guide and Teacher, and thus He alone is the one we should all follow in discipleship, because when we do we will be perfectly trained by our Teacher!
Vs. 41-42 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
Therefore, the Lord Jesus tells us to take our focus off trying to fix all of the faults and failings we see in others, and first focus our energies on addressing our own faults and failings. That is the essence of what He is stating in the passage. That being overtly critical of other people’s minor faults and failings while passing over your own major faults and failings is only being a hypocrite, and not a disciple.
Vs. 43-45
43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Here by way of a metaphor Jesus reveals that His disciples bear good fruit. For as He says: “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.” Bearing good fruit then is the result of being spiritually and morally pure/purified, something that can only happen when one repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ through the Gospel. That is the essence of our bearing good fruit, His transforming us by His Spirit into new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). On the other hand, those who continue on in their unbelief and ultimately their sins cannot bear good fruit, for their fundamental nature has not been transformed and changed by Him. Therefore, they will always default to the “lowest common denominator” which in the world is its degeneration, not regeneration, which again only comes by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4-7). For just as Jesus says: “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.” vs. 44
A disciple of Jesus then is not a person who is sinning and living in error; that is living in accord with the ungodly beliefs and values of this world. No, a true disciple is known by the good fruit that their life is producing, that is how a true disciple is known. And in this Jesus contrasts the two by saying: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Blessing and thanksgiving and encouraging and positive living and speaking then is the product of having the Holy Spirit in one’s life, for it is by faith in Jesus Christ that an overflowing of living waters proceeds out of our hearts, mouths, and lives (consider John 7:38).
Scripture Quotations
Vs. 39 And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?
Having commended us all to having generous spirits; especially in our own assessments of others. Jesus now warns us that being blind to our own faults and failings will only lead us to cause others who are also blinded to the same things in their lives to likewise faulter and fall (vs. 39). Thus, too selfish and self-serving people (or unforgiving people) will only justify and or encourage each other in continuing to do the same. Not realizing that it will only lead to the harm of them both. That is what the blind leading the blind leads too.
Vs. 40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.”
And so, to corrects this Jesus says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” Thus, if you want a true measure of your own Christian faith life and walk don’t look to others like yourself, look to Jesus Christ to see if you are being loving and generous and kind; or to see if you are being forgiving and merciful when wronged, or caring and compassionate when needed. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ for both the Strength and the Power to do all things that are Christian (Phil. 4:13) for He alone is our Guide and Teacher, and thus He alone is the one we should all follow in discipleship, because when we do we will be perfectly trained by our Teacher!
Vs. 41-42 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
Therefore, the Lord Jesus tells us to take our focus off trying to fix all of the faults and failings we see in others, and first focus our energies on addressing our own faults and failings. That is the essence of what He is stating in the passage. That being overtly critical of other people’s minor faults and failings while passing over your own major faults and failings is only being a hypocrite, and not a disciple.
Vs. 43-45
43 “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Here by way of a metaphor Jesus reveals that His disciples bear good fruit. For as He says: “For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.” Bearing good fruit then is the result of being spiritually and morally pure/purified, something that can only happen when one repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ through the Gospel. That is the essence of our bearing good fruit, His transforming us by His Spirit into new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). On the other hand, those who continue on in their unbelief and ultimately their sins cannot bear good fruit, for their fundamental nature has not been transformed and changed by Him. Therefore, they will always default to the “lowest common denominator” which in the world is its degeneration, not regeneration, which again only comes by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4-7). For just as Jesus says: “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.” vs. 44
A disciple of Jesus then is not a person who is sinning and living in error; that is living in accord with the ungodly beliefs and values of this world. No, a true disciple is known by the good fruit that their life is producing, that is how a true disciple is known. And in this Jesus contrasts the two by saying: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Blessing and thanksgiving and encouraging and positive living and speaking then is the product of having the Holy Spirit in one’s life, for it is by faith in Jesus Christ that an overflowing of living waters proceeds out of our hearts, mouths, and lives (consider John 7:38).
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version. (1982): Thomas Nelson
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