15th August 2015
“You blind fools!”
- Jesus
Matthew 23:17
“If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
- Jesus (Matthew 15:14)
- Jesus (Matthew 15:14)
This is another recurring reproof in Jesus’ Spectacular Diatribe against the "scribes and Pharisees".
Numerous times in his speech, Jesus refers to these religious leaders as "blind"—not physically blind, mind*.
In 23:23–4, Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees of following the minutia of the Jewish religious law to a tee, but missing the big picture stuff—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. How could these people spiritually lead Israel?
“You blind guides!” Jesus illustrates. Then, switching to a soup metaphor, He adds “You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”
* Jesus met a few of these people, too. The encounters tended to end with them not being blind, though [e.g.].
