I had a unique math teacher in high school who liked to quote Scripture. He would place us in pairs to work on difficult problems in our pre-calculus class. If the team got the problem wrong he often remarked, if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.

Yesterday I finished listening to a book about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior in 1975. No one is certain why the boat sank, but one theory holds that due to faulty maps and busted radar the ship ran over a shallow shoal as a massive storm pushed it slightly off course. The damaged hull allowed water to slowly enter and drag it to the bottom. The blind (bad maps and radar) leading the blind (a captain in the middle of raging seas with blizzard conditions in the black of night) led to disaster.

I find myself tempted to follow blind guides. When I swear allegiance to a political party and never question any policies or positions, then I’m guilty. Or when I disagree with someone’s idea simply because I do not like that person rather than evaluate their argument, I’ve made a blind decision. I choose the blind way when I make life choices outside the bounds of Scripture.

Jesus spoke these words in reference to the teachings of certain Pharisees over hand-washing. These men focused on presenting as pious rather than turning their hearts toward the Lord. When I decide that my image trumps my obedience to loving my neighbor, then I’ve taken a turn toward blindness.

If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit. Blind guides exist everywhere in our modern world, making this one of the most applicable warnings Jesus ever uttered. What’s the solution? The Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit bring sight to the blind. Take the cure and avoid tumbling into the pit.

Matthew 15:14

Photo by David Underland