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-- BUILDING ON THE ROCK
Luke 6:39-42 And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
And
why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive
the plank in your own eye? 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.
Luke
6:43-45 "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit,
nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 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.
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 a man speaks.
Luke
6:46-49 "But why do you call Me "Lord,
Lord,' and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me,
and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He
is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation
on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently
against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the
rock.
But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."
As Jesus confirms here, his disciples are being trained -- and the purpose of the experiential learning process they are involved in is to prepare them to train and teach other people when the time is right. Notice that when a disciple or pupil is properly trained he will think and approach all situations and problems in they way that his teacher does. This modeling process, rather than the acquisition of factual knowledge, is the essence of proper teaching.
Christianity is not a static state of belief, as Peter also stresses (2 Peter 1:5-12 and all the way to 3:18) --and Jesus' first parable here, the observation that the blind cannot lead the blind, is intended to stress the need for his disciples, whose eyes have now been opened, to start thinking, learning and spiritually growing. As Peter also points out, human life, actually illustrates this required process of spiritual development from infancy to adulthood and maturity.
The second parable, the injunction to 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 is intended encourage the disciples to begin their experiential spiritual training by focusing their newly opened and discerning eyes onto their own faults and weaknesses rather than the more easily observed shortcomings of others.
The next short parable, that every tree is known by its fruit, is intended to reinforce that need for self-examination and change. Out of the abundance of his heart a man speaks, says Jesus, and our good or bad deeds are the inevitable outward manifestations of the good or bad treasure inside us. But how well do we know ourselves? It has been said that man's greatest talent is that of self-deception.
The final parable stresses the imperative for action to turn theory into practice. Why do you call Me "Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? says Jesus. Once again, Christianity is not a mere creed, a rubber-stamp religion or a set of stimulating philosophical idea or a theological insurance policy, but a practical and life-long programme of Godly living, learning and spiritual growth and development (Ephesians 4:11-15).