I've been walking through the Sermon on the Level Place, a passage from Luke's Gospel found in chapter 6. It's the Lukan version of the more famous Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. We come now to the passage beginning at Luke 6:39.
He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you seek the speck that is in your brother's eyes, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Hoe can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye."
As usual, we must remember the context. What came immediately before this passage? Jesus had given his disciples a mandate: Instead of judging people, forgive them. Offer this as freely to others as you wish it would be offered to you. [Verses 37, 38]
Now in the next section we have two parts: the parable of the blind leading the blind, and the metaphor of the speck and the log. First, we must always remember that Jesus is speaking to disciples. He is teaching them, preparing them, equipping them for the role to which he has called them. They will be teachers themselves. Even as Jesus teaches them, they will teach others. What Jesus has announced concerning the kingdom of God, they too will announce.
Now, you cannot be a teacher unless you have first been taught. This is the meaning of "Can a blind man lead a blind man?" This is simply a reminder to the disciples that if they have not forgiven others, suspending judgement and condemnation, then they cannot very well teach others to forgive. They cannot bear the message of the Kingdom to others if they have not first learned (heard and believed) that same message. Don't try to lead a blind man when you yourself have no sight.
This is important. Unless you have received, you cannot give. The teaching of Jesus is "sight" in this parable. You cannot lead the sightless if you have not first received sight from Jesus.
After this, Jesus returns to the matter of judgement. He has stated categorically, do not judge. This is simply not the role of the disciple. The role of the disciple is to teach. In fact, if you are focused on the flaws (the sins) of others, that is an indication that you have not imbibed the teaching of Jesus. If you are decrying the splinter in someone else's eye (in other words, judging), then you have clearly got a log in your own eye . You are a blind man seeking to lead another blind man, one who is in fact quite possibly less blind than you! Once again Jesus is talking about sight-impairment.
We know from Matthew 28:19 ("the Great Commission," as it is often called) that the mission of the disciples was to make other disciples. This is to say, the mission of the student of Jesus is to pass on the teaching Jesus to new students of Jesus, and so on, down through the generations. And you cannot do this, not effectively over the long term, if you have not truly sat at the feet of Jesus and received and believed his message. Until then, no matter how you might pretend to be a teacher of men and a guide to the blind, you are merely another blind person, judging and condemning because you think that's what a teacher does, and so you might fool them into thinking you wise and insightful.
This is the point. The blind guide is a pretender. His blindness (his log) is glaringly obvious. Even as he judges and condemns the flawed vision of others despite the Messiah's command, do not judge), his distance from the true teaching of Jesus stands out like a glaringly obvious log in his eye. Unless he learns well Luke 6:37 he will never be anything but the hypocrite of Luke 6:42.
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