Sermon Tone Analysis
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*Intro* – A month after Donald McDonald started at Harvard, his mother called from Scotland.
"How are the American students, Donald?"
She asked.
"There so noisy," he complained.
"One neighbor endlessly bangs his head against the wall, while another screams all night."
"How you put up with it?"
"I just ignore them and play my bagpipes."
Well, the point is we all – whether we like it or not, and whether we know it or not – we all influence those around us for good or for ill.
Just by virtue of living, we touch the lives of others.
The question is, is it for good or for ill?
That’s the issue in Luke 6:39-45 as Jesus continues His Sermon on the Plain.
Jesus’ addresses His sermon to His followers.
In vv.
20-26, He defines identifying characteristics of those who belong to His kingdom.
Then in vv.
27-38, He gives a series of commands for graceful living toward difficult people.
Default settings must change from revenge to grace!
Now, in vv.
39-45 He reminds us we all significantly influence others – and as His disciples He wants us to influence rightly.
We are all leaders to someone.
These parables give 3 truths aimed at helping us influence for the good.
*I*.
No Man is an Island
Why such emphasis on grace-fill living?
Because we are touching somebody’s life!
V. 39, “He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man?
Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.”
Jesus point is those we influence will become like us.
If we are blind, they will be blind.
If we fall into a pit, they will fall into a pit.
If we are subject to emotional meltdowns, they will be subject to emotional meltdowns.
If our life is a shambles, their life will be a shambles.
Everyone we touch becomes to some degree like us.
Scary thought, isn’t it?
It’s meant to be!
Note 3 principles here.
*A.
We all lead someone* – Suppose we sit in a circle, each with a ball in our hands.
We roll our balls to someone else in the circle.
What happens?
Well, in some instances, the ball moves unhindered to the other person.
But most of the time, my ball is going to run into some other ball, right?
And when balls connect, one thing is certain – their direction changes.
It may be a little or a lot, but its path is going to change.
It may go 2 degrees right or 170 degrees left, but it’s going to change.
When two balls touch, both are changed.
And when two lives touch, both are changed.
A little or a lot, for good or bad, both are changed.
That is an absolute principle of life.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Every life you touch, every day of your life, influence is happening for good or for ill.
Further, when lives intersect, there is almost always one person who is the leader and one who is the follower.
That’s Jesus’ point.
I always remind young people, choose your friends carefully.
Why? Because, every time you enter a relationships with someone, you either become more like them or they become more like you.
It’s inevitable!
And that is just as true of adults as it is of kids.
It’s true of every relationship – to parents, to children, to teachers, bosses, friends, acquaintances, whoever.
We are either becoming more like those around us, or they are becoming more like us.
And we all lead someone.
Our influence is inevitable and constant.
*B.
We can only lead others where we ourselves have gone* – You can’t take someone else somewhere you haven’t been.
That’s the main point of the parable.
“Can a blind man lead a blind man?
Will they not both fall into a pit?” Suppose you landed in NYC, hailed a cab and noticed the driver had on heavy sunglasses with a white cane and seeing-eye dog riding shotgun.
Are you getting in?
Of course not.
Get in and you’re going to end up at the bottom of the Hudson River right along with him.
Neither do we have any hope of influencing anyone else toward truth that we have not experienced ourselves.
It was 1st grade graduation.
All the students were passing by to shake their teacher’s hand.
One boy thought his teacher was great and could not imagine life without her.
So, when his turn came he threw his arms around her neck and said, “Mrs.
Taylor, I love you so much.
I just wish you knew enough to teach the second grade."
Even that boy knew if you haven’t been to the 2nd grade, you can’t teach the 2nd grade!
You can’ t take someone where you haven’t been!
Which means if our faith is lukewarm, we can’t take anyone else any further.
This is my constant concern as your pastor/teacher.
I can’t influence you further than I’ve been and vice versa.
Parents should have this very same concern going on.
You can only take your children as far spiritually as you have gone.
We must be growing!
*C.
To be a good leader, you need a good leader* – V. 40, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.”
Is Jesus warning His disciples that they must know God to lead others to God – or is He warning them that they must choose their own teacher wisely?
How about both?
Both are in view.
They will be influencing lives and so they must be prepared so they don’t take their own followers into a ditch.
It’s like in sports.
Great talent needs special training to reach max potential.
Michael Jordan needed Phil Jackson’s leadership.
Peyton Manning was mentored by his own father, Archie, who was one of the best.
And so, Jesus’ followers must choose the right teacher.
His audience must choose between the new teaching that He is bringing versus the old wineskins of the Pharisees to whom they previously looked for guidance.
The audience must now make a choice about who really has truth.
And once committed to Jesus, the better they know Him, the better they can influence others.
The same clearly applies to us.
To think we can go through life without touching others is to live in denial.
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