Matthew 15:14

[Guest man]

I'm interested in your thoughts concerning verse 14.

What is Jesus saying when He says, "both will fall into a ditch"?

What does the "ditch" represent?

Matthew 15

10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them,

[pearly163]

Some translations say "Pit" or "hole". I don't think it is meant to represent anything other than what it says.

If two people are close to a pit and one of them can see, the sighted one can prevent them both from falling into it.

However, if they are both blind they are very likely to fall into the pit because they didn't see it.

[LUVNCHRIST]

In the NIV it says pit. But both represent the same thing to me. In my opinion the Pharisees were blind to what Jesus was teaching. Therefore they would be unable to teach and lead rightly. They wouldn't see the pit/ditch before them and if one was following them and their teachings they both would be blind to the fall.

The ditch represents an abyss to me. A dark hole. If one disregards the words of Christ they will find themselves in a dark abyss. I know I was there. Thankfully He reached down and yanked me out of it. I fell in it alone. I am glad no one fell with me. Now I pray the Lord will use me to help others avoid falling into pits.

[OneLight]

The "ditch" is an emblem of destruction.

[nebula]

I always took it as an illusion to be led astray, falling into trouble, something like that.

[OneLight]

That would be what the blind was teaching and the blind was following. The result would be destruction, which would be what the ditch is.

[Hunterpoet]

If you find yourself in a ditch, it is certain you have gone " off course ", and are no longer on the high ground among those on the straight and narrow.

I do not think the ditch represents anything more than a low place.

[sdktlk]

I'm interested in your thoughts concerning verse 14.

What is Jesus saying when He says, "both will fall into a ditch"?

What does the "ditch" represent?

Matthew 15

10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:

11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."

12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"

13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.

14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."

15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."

16 So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?

17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.

19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

The Greek word bothunos, here interpreted ditch, means most directly cistern. A cistern was, at the time of Jesus, an underground place to store rain WATER. "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples TRANSGRESS THE TRADITION of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But He answered and said unto them, Why do you also TRANSGRESS THE COMMANDMENT of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor your father and mother: and, He that curses father or mother, let him die the death. But you say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have you made the COMMANDMENT OF GOD OF NONE EFFECT BY YOUR TRADITION. You hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draws near unto Me with their mouth, and honors Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship me, TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN." (Mat 15:1-9)

As we know water is symbolic of the Word of God. These one's, who professed to have skill and understanding in the True Water of Life, had greatly erred. Therefore when a new convert, who is essentially blind to the things of God came along, they, with their traditions, would lead this babe into underground, that is dark water.

Our Lord said in another place, " Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." (Mat 23:15) Here again we discover that the teachings of the leaders fostered upon a new convert not only leads him astray, but, because of their erroneous teachings, the newly "saved" is filled up with bad doctrine and teaching and becomes twice as hard to convince of the Truth than one who had no teaching at all. "Hell" pointing to the place of the dead and we read, "The man that wanders out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead." (Pro 21:16) This verse in Proverbs is not saying that he looses his salvation, it is pointing to the fact that the place into which he has "wandered" has no True Light available.

If a "blind guide," individual or corporate, has led a child of God into a dark hole in the ground, which speaks of an earthy not heavenly place, and causes him to drink "water" from that dark earthy place, it becomes almost impossible to recover that one from "the snare of the devil." (2Tim 2:26) There is a great lot of this TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN in the body of Christ today.

[nebula]

That's an interesting comparison. (The water symbolism thing) Thanks!

[Openly Curious]

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14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."

Jesus was speaking of the teachings of the Pharisees how they taught and put heavy burdens on their hearers but would not practice the things that they taught in their own lives. Thus, the Pharisees were false teachers who did not accept Jesus as Messiah nor the truth that he brought into the world. When those who followed their teachings they also would lay heavy burdens on their hearers and would not practice what they taught. So what they had was blind leaders who were not following the truth as a result their followers would become like them both were blind leaders of those who would also become blind leaders themselves being blind. Then from here since the blind leaders was leading the blind both could not see they were in darkness not walking in the light being Jesus. Being that both leader and followers were blind because they had no sight both of them would fall in a "ditch" because having not the truth will lead them both off the narrow path having not grace they go deeper into the darkness taking others with them.

I love what Jesus told us to do about the blind leaders of the blind who have not the truth but walk in darkness. Jesus said, "LET THEM ALONE" stay away from them let them lead the blind have no part with those who walk in darkness because if you can't see where you're going there has to be alot of stumbling taking place. 1 Peter 2:8; +John 3:19-21+ 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 We need to be aware of the false teachers among us who are not in the truth and leave them alone stay away from them but beware of their existence.