Luke 6:39-49  Luke includes a series of parables that Jesus taught to His disciples and others who gathered to listen.  Each quote is presented to teach an important truth.. and then we are reminded again in verse 47 that we need to hear and "act upon" them... laying a firm foundation for our lives. 

Verses 39-40 teach about leading and following.  "A blind man cannot guide a blind man.. "  That is a very observable truth.  Matthew 15:14 tells us that Jesus was speaking about the Pharisees "they are blind guides of the blind". They put their traditions before the Word of the God.  Their teachings were not founded on the truth but on their own interpretations.  Jesus said, "A pupil is not above his teacher..."  but.. the purpose of the teacher is to "fully train" his students so that they will "be like" their teacher.  In John 13:16  Jesus said this again using the word "slave" instead of pupil... "Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is the one who is sent greater than the one who sent him."  Jesus had just washed the disciples feet.. "For I gave you an example that you should do as I did to you."  The contrast is significant.  The Pharisees didn't follow the Truth and could not teach effectively what they did not live out. They were "blind" and those who followed their examples would also be blind.  But.. Jesus taught the Truth and lived according to it.. desiring to "fully train" His disciples to be just like Him. 

Verses 41-42 teach about judging others but not looking first at your own soul. "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?"  This is a very dramatic illustration.  We easily picture a speck and a log.. and we recognize the pain and discomfort of anything in our eyes!  What we miss is the blindness that occurs when we focus on the failures of others rather than our own.  Jesus isn't telling us to not care about our brother or sister.. but that we must first and always come to Him to restore our own sight.. to see as He does.

Verses 43-45 This lesson helps us to examine our sight and that of others.. to open our blind eyes.. "For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit."  Jesus tells us that He is talking about our hearts... "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good."  As a good tree produces "good fruit" -a good heart produces "good". The evidence is the "fruit".. "for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."   Each tree, He says, "is known by its own fruit".  If there is good in our hearts, then we will speak what is good and true and right. But, if there is evil in our hearts, what comes out of our mouths will testify clearly that we are indeed a "bad tree".. an  "evil man".

Father in heaven, we pray as the psalmist did.. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." (Psalm 139:23-24)   My heart is Yours.. my eyes are Yours, fill me, Spirit of truth, and lead me according to the Words of Christ that I might act upon them.. building a firm foundation on the Solid Rock.  I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.