We live in an age of specialists—individuals who bring finely-tuned skills to issues in our lives. Specialists can remove a gas tank to extract the fuel pump and replace it with a new one. Specialists can understand the nuances of the tax code and find deductions that the average person might miss. Specialists can take a laptop computer infected with a virus that freezes the operating system in an endless loop and make it useful again. Specialists can boost the yield of seeds to reach levels unimaginable a generation ago.

When we need a specialist, we seek someone who is has specific skills in the area of our need. If you need arthroscopic knee surgery, you would likely prefer someone who had a long record of successful procedures and who was informed about the latest techniques. If you wanted someone to design the electrical system for an addition to your house, you would want someone who was certified, experienced and who understands the options before you.

The strange fact is that when it comes to the area of religion and faith, the logic of relying on specialists who have a proven track record seems to go out the window. There is such diversity in American religion—even in Christianity. Individuals earn degrees from a variety of institutions, both public and private. And the content of the teaching they receive varies even more. Some are taught that Jesus did not exist and that Christianity is a psychological crutch. Others are told that the Bible is historically accurate, that it presents a true picture of Jesus as the incarnate deity he claimed to be, and that Biblical Christianity brings all of life into focus. This diversity has created a situation where we can select spiritual leaders who will say anything we want to hear. Their words do not need to correspond with reality—only with our preferences.

Surprisingly, our contemporary situation is not unlike that in the first century in Israel. The Jewish religious system was much more monolithic than American Protestantism is today. Though there was a gap between the Pharisees and Sadducees, it was not as wide as what we see across the American religious spectrum. Even so, it bred a large number of spiritual leaders who did not understand the spiritual realities taught by Moses and the prophets. The Pharisees and scribes specialized in a legalistic view of faith that implied that perfect obedience could somehow gain enough favor with God to make an eternal difference for the adherents of the faith. They developed systems of behavior designed to appease God and put the faithful on a path of success.

Jesus puts these religious specialists in the same category you would include a Boundary Waters fishing guide who had lost their eyesight. In Matthew 15:14, Jesus bluntly states, “Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Jesus complaint is that they have lost their sight of spiritual realities. Therefore they have become useless. They cannot guide anyone across the spiritual terrain of life because they can’t see what is before them. They cannot perceive the spiritual realities that impact the soul, for good or evil. They must guess, grope in the dark, and hope that by some unknown means they can lead themselves and others to a place of safety and security. But because the world is a spiritually dangerous place, they will prove to be no match for the dangers they cannot see. They will slip into some unseen pit, along with those who trust them.

Jesus values the souls of men too much to opt for political correctness. He knows that spiritual blindness is not a small handicap for those who would lead others. It is a fatal shortcoming. Christ’s words are a warning to every Christ-follower who would seek to influence others. We cannot lead where we cannot see. We must constantly improve our perception of God by devoting ourselves to study and to apply the teachings of scripture as we open our hearts to his revelation in the Bible. We must never be content with what we think we know. We must cultivate both a humility and a hunger that will help us see Him more clearly. Any other pursuit will imperil both ourselves and those we seek to assist.