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Explanation for:
Matthew
15
:
14
Let them alone: they are blind, and leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"This aligns with the directive given by the apostle, “After the first and second admonition, turn away from the heretic, knowing that such a one has become corrupt and sins, being self-judged,” Titus 3:10-11. In a similar manner, the Savior instructs that those false teachers should be allowed their freedom, understanding that they are unlikely to be led to the truth, remaining blind themselves and leading others into deception."},{"author-name":"Chromatius of Aquileia","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a3df6d7a747a33b4f4a_Chromatius%20of%20Aquileia.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"He continues by declaring, “Leave them be; they are blind guides for the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” These statements were directed at the scribes and Pharisees, who were spiritually blinded by the folly of their disbelief. They not only failed to see the radiance of truth by rejecting Christ, but they also misled others into the depths of ruin. This admonition also pertains to heretics. By rejecting Christ as “the true light from the true light, and God from God,” they too became blinded. In promoting false teachings, they took on the roles of leaders and teachers for the unfortunate souls who followed them."},{"author-name":"Symeon the New Theologian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c897eec143c131d21207b3_Symeon%20the%20New%20Theologian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":10,"exegesis-text":"A person who lacks spiritual insight and attempts to guide others is unfaithful, and those who choose to follow such a leader will find themselves in peril, as stated in Scripture: ‘If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into the pit’ (Matthew 15:14)."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Recognizing the Pharisees' inability to change and their misguided ways, He declared that they should be left alone. This teaches us that engaging with those who willingly succumb to temptation and cannot be healed does not harm us. The Lord refers to them as blind guides leading others in darkness, aiming to redirect the people away from their influence."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Leave them..., ‘as unhealable.’ Thus, He refrains from remedying their temptations, aware that no solution will benefit them. The leaders are the blind guiding the blind; He refers to them as blind because their souls are obscured by a deluge of passions, preventing them from perceiving the light of truth. Moreover, they themselves guide the ignorant due to their lack of understanding of the Scriptures. To be blind is a grave affliction, yet to be ensnared in one’s own blindness while leading another who is also blind is undoubtedly a greater calamity. If a blind person leads another blind individual, both will inevitably stumble into the abyss. This is clearly understandable."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Therefore, prevent them from following their fabricated teachings; their doctrines will only bring you harm, as they are leaders blinded by their own lack of vision. They are spiritually ignorant, closing their eyes to the light of God's word and erecting barriers of their own imaginations that separate them from it. What is even more troubling is that these spiritually blind individuals, represented by the Pharisees and scribes, remain completely unaware of their condition. As it is written, \\"IF THE BLIND LEAD THE BLIND, both will fall into the pit.\\" St. John Chrysostom aptly noted that while it is dire to be blind, leading others into that blindness is far worse. The Lord's teachings were clear, yet for the Apostles, they were startling and unfamiliar, making it difficult for them to let go of their preconceived ideas about Pharisaic righteousness. They found themselves perplexed about how to view the traditions and rituals that the Pharisees had imposed on every aspect of the Law. For instance, while the Law mandated strict dietary practices, the Pharisees added numerous additional rules, and it seemed to the Lord as if He had set those aside completely. At that time, the Apostles did not fully grasp the concept of inner, spiritual defilement. The fact that they were genuinely troubled is evidenced by Peter’s eagerness, as he hid his own uncertainty and decided to seek clarification from the Lord on behalf of the other disciples."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"\\"Disregard them\\": do not adhere to the teachings they have created, which claim to be rooted in the traditions of the elders, yet fail to align with the divine truth and ultimately undermine God's commandments. - \\"Disregard them\\": have no fear of their anger, do not be intimidated by their threats. In instructing His followers to steer clear of the Pharisees, the Lord does not call for them to abandon these individuals in their misguided beliefs, nor does He seek to enlighten or refute their erroneous teachings, as He has done so Himself. He merely encourages them not to embrace their doctrines and to remain untroubled."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When Jesus perceived the confusion among His disciples, He conveyed His message through a parable. He likened the word of God to a seed that a gardener plants, while the transformation of humanity through the word of God mirrors the growth of a plant emerging from that seed. Just as a gardener attentively monitors the growth of his plants, he removes any plants that sprout on their own, uninvited, from areas where they were not intended to grow. Similarly, any teaching that lacks the core truth of God will inevitably be discarded. Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted; leave them; they are blind guides of the blind; and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit. It perplexes you that I dismiss the Pharisees' teachings on traditions to which you have grown accustomed; however, these teachings are of human origin, devoid of divine authority, and indeed stand in clear opposition to God’s will, and thus cannot prevail against the truth. Understand that any doctrine that does not align with the word of God is false, and its falsehood will eventually be revealed. Do not fear the Pharisees and refrain from following their erroneous teachings; let them be. Just as a blind man cannot gain sight, neither can they achieve understanding. They are blind guides. Yet, if you align yourselves with their teachings and become blinded as well, what will ensue? A blind man leading a blind man? Upon reflecting on Jesus' words, one might assume He is detached from the impending demise of not only the blind leaders among the Jewish people but also those who are led by them. However, this conclusion would be mistaken. Had Christ been indifferent solely to the downfall of His adversaries, the blind leaders, He would not have consistently and tirelessly sought to illuminate their minds, desiring for them to see and comprehend the truth. We know that even on the final day of His public ministry, He longed for their salvation, and when they obstinately refused to see, He lamented deeply: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often have I longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! (Matt. 23:27) If this is the case, and the Lord exerted every effort until the final moment to save the blind leaders from their impending doom, we cannot perceive even the slightest indication of His indifference towards the destruction of those who choose to remain blind. Rather, His message serves as a stern warning against following these blind guides, urging caution not to trust their misguided direction, as it leads to destruction. Depart from those who wish to remain blind! Do not follow them. If they deliberately choose to head into danger, and nothing can sway them from that path, then do not follow them—lest you too fall into the pit alongside them!"},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The teaching of the Lord was perceived as unusual by the Jewish legal experts, who were entrenched in trivial and strictly external laws concerning purity. The disciples asked Him, \\"Are you tempted like the Pharisees who received the message?\\" In response, the Lord employed the metaphor of a plant to illustrate that any teaching not aligned with the revealed truth of God will ultimately lose its effectiveness and importance. This includes the teachings of the Pharisees, who were spiritually blind guides to the people, relying on their perilous leadership. As it is written, \\"Every garden that My Father in heaven does not plant will be uprooted; leave them; they are blind leaders of the blind; and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.\\""},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"After confronting the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the Lord drew the crowd closer to Him, teaching them about what truly renders a person unclean, defiling him and making him guilty before God. He emphasized that the general principle is that what enters the mouth does not defile a person, but rather, what issues from the mouth can cause defilement. Following this instruction, the Lord went into a house where His disciples approached Him with the report that the Pharisees were offended by His teachings, as noted in Matthew’s account. The Apostles may have been unsettled by the fact that Jesus' words, meant to enlighten, had instead tempted those who heard them, or they themselves were troubled by His assertion regarding what does not defile a person. They informed Jesus of the Pharisees’ offense, possibly seeking clarification on His earlier statement.\\n\\nThe saying about what defiles has led the Pharisees to feel threatened; they had become so accustomed to the necessity of ritual handwashing for spiritual cleanliness that they interpreted Christ’s words as a challenge to their established practices. The Pharisees could also have been upset because Jesus spoke to the people rather than upholding their authority. In response to the news concerning the Pharisees' distress, Christ pointedly referred either to their teachings, which were man-made rather than divinely ordained, or directly to the Pharisees, indicating they should not lead the people, as they were not true followers of God's will. Thus, He instructed to leave them, meaning either to disregard their teachings to avoid falling into their errors or to let them manage their own matters.\\n\\nFollowing this, Peter, representing all the disciples, requested Jesus to clarify His seemingly ambiguous teaching regarding the difference between what enters the mouth and what proceeds from it. The Lord explained that the food which enters the mouth is not what defiles a person. Rather, defilement originates from the heart, as it produces evil thoughts, desires, and intentions. These outward expressions reveal the impurity that resides within the human soul, while food simply passes through the body without affecting the spirit."}]}
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