Now He (Jesus) also spoke a parable to them: “A person who is blind cannot guide another who is blind, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?
Luke 6:39
I gave up social media a long time ago (a very odd choice for someone who spends the work week doing marketing activities). Sure, I miss out on photos and news posted by friends and family, but I’m also not being force-fed a bunch of garbage on the daily—taking up the space in my mind that should be focusing on all things true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Plus, that visceral, addictive need to check for likes/reactions/posts is just not on my radar anymore. (If you find yourself waking up and reaching for your phone, glancing at every notification even when you’re in a conversation, and being distracted by said pings while driving, you may want to consider a social media hiatus. Just saying.) It’s been almost four years for me…and I can say, I’m definitely a lot happier.
So, in that regard, I don’t “follow” people anymore. And as I was reading Luke’s gospel, a brief statement from Jesus got me thinking about the whole idea of following—whether it’s social media, podcasts, books, or pulpits. His message in chapter 6, verse 39 was clear: If someone who is blind to Truth follows someone else who is blind to Truth, it won’t end well for either of them. (He was referring to the Pharisees, because He actually calls them “blind guides” to His disciples in Matthew 15:14—and to their faces in Matthew 23.) The parable in Luke 6 was part of a longer message from Jesus about what it means to call Him Lord, which held all kinds of counterculture (and counter-religious) exhortations that were likely very shocking to His listeners. He was redefining what it means to love others. He stated plainly what it looks like to love others (even our enemies) like God loves us, and he warned not take on the judgmental attitude of religiosity. And following Him, He said, meant doing what He said—which sets your life on a solid foundation (vs 46-49).
For us today, three significant “following” considerations come out of this:
- We must discern if the people and things we follow are blind. Is it Truth, solidly based on God’s Word? Are the messages that spring from those sources for our good and God’s glory? If the people we admire and follow (from influencers to pastors) are blind to Biblical Truth, we’re headed for a great fall.
- We’ve got to know the Truth for ourselves, so we’re not blind! Stating the obvious, a blind person doesn’t know they’re following another blind person. We’ve got to know Truth by knowing God’s Word to recognize that we’re following lies.
- If we’re following Jesus, we’ll always be going in the right direction. Of all the people and things of this world (even pastors and theologians), we have to start by following the only One who’ll never lead us astray—Jesus. Being a follower of Jesus keeps us moving in His direction. Through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, we walk with the Lord in the direction of holiness and righteousness in response to our salvation.
It’s so tempting to follow hard after the popular blind guides of today’s culture. The road is wide and filled with enticing, shiny things. But it only leads to the pit. Following Jesus is a much narrower path and requires trudging through crowds moving in the opposite direction. But this leads to true satisfaction, joy, and life. As my pastor often says, “You can’t be a follower of someone and stand still.” So, friend, who/what are you following—and where’s it leading you?
Jesus, help me abandon chasing after the things of this world that promise life but only lead to destruction—and may I follow hard after You.
encouraged by grace 