Leave Them Alone

Leave them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit (Matt. 15:14).

When the Pharisees were offended, Jesus did not treat their offense as a problem to be solved, but as willful blindness that no man could change.

He said, "Leave them alone..."

The only thing that will enforce the Truth in a man's life is the honesty of his own heart.

Disciples must speak truth clearly, answer wisely, and correct gently. But when a person refuses the Truth and shifts the fight to personalities, insults, or evasions, we are not obligated to keep wrestling with their pride. At some point, we leave them alone—not because truth failed, but because we cannot do the work of conscience for them.

You cannot compel honesty.

You are not responsible to force self-awareness into someone (nor can you). Jesus knew the only thing that would enforce the Truth in a man's life was the honesty of his own heart. Many walked away offended, defensive, sorrowful, hostile, or unchanged. Jesus often exposed the real issue beneath someone’s words, but He did not force them to receive it. He taught perfectly, asked the most piercing questions, and still some people hardened themselves, dodged the point, attacked Him, or left unchanged.

Why does that matter? Because it keeps us from thinking, “If I just say the perfect thing, I can make this person see themselves.” You cannot. You can speak truth wisely and eloquently. You can expose sin and weakness. You can ask searching questions. But you cannot compel honesty.

In John 6, many of Jesus’ disciples were offended by His teaching and left:

Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” (Jn. 6:60).

Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him (Jn. 6:66).

Jesus did not chase them down to soften the message. He turned to the twelve and pressed the issue.

Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” (Jn. 6:67)

Perfect Teacher. Perfect truth. Yet many walked away.

Instead of dealing with the message, they attack the messenger.

In Luke 4, Jesus preached in Nazareth. At first, they marveled. Then when He exposed their unbelief and entitlement, they became furious: And they were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things; and they rose up, and cast him forth out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong (Lk. 4:28–29). That is not honest self-examination. It's simple hatred for the Truth, lashing out at the One preaching it.

In John 8, Jesus exposed men who claimed God as Father while rejecting His Word: “Why do you not understand my speech? It is because you cannot hear my word” (Jn. 8:43) “He that is of God hears the words of God: for this reason you hear them not, because you are not of God” (Jn. 8:47).

Their response was not, “Lay my heart bare!” “Strip away my self-deception.”

They chose to insult: The Jews answered and said to him, “Do we not rightly say that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?” (Jn. 8:48). Instead of dealing with the message, they attack the messenger.

Do you remember the rich young ruler was morally serious and seeking life? When Jesus exposed the thing ruling his heart, he left sorrowful: Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell all you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.” But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sorrowful; for he was one that had great possessions (Matt. 19:21–22). Jesus diagnosed the real issue and showed him the way to life. The man still walked away.

People under conviction often deflect and attack appearance, motives, tone, background, personality, delivery, rather than wrestle honestly with the substance of what was said.

How often does this pattern appear in Scripture?

When Stephen exposed Israel’s rebellion, they did not calmly reason with the message. They went after him: Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth (Acts 7:54).

Their discomfort is not ultimately with you, but the Author of Truth.

Or when the Lord exposed hypocrisy: …the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, waiting to catch him in something he might say (Lk. 11:53-54).

The Christ-like response is not retaliation: Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. If it be possible, in so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men (Rom. 12:17–18).

Jesus, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously (1 Pet. 2:23).

None of this means He softened the Truth. We’ve seen the opposite. But neither did He become petty. So He expects the same calm restraint, and refusal to escalate and insult back.

The strongest response is refusing the fleshly exchange the other person is tempting you into. Also remember: if the Truth exposed sin or unbelief, then their discomfort is not ultimately with you, but the Author of Truth.

Paul said, “So then am I become your enemy, by telling you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16). Truth sometimes provokes hostility. Jesus would sometimes redirect personal attacks back to the deeper spiritual issue underneath them: “Which of you convicts me of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me?” (Jn. 8:46). He does not get dragged into the insult itself, but pulls the discussion back to Truth and the condition of the heart.

Maybe you sometimes wonder, “Should I say anything?”

There is a time to answer the insult by refusing to answer the insult. There is a time to redirect the person back to truth. That is not retaliation. That is redirection.

The Lord’s servant is not called to be quarrelsome, but neither is he called to be cowardly: And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome , but be gentle towards all, able to teach, patient when wronged, in meekness correcting them that oppose themselves; if perhaps God may give them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 2:24–25).

Gentleness is not silence by default. Gentleness is strength under the rule of Christ:

Brethren, if anyone be caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself, lest you also be tempted (Gal. 6:1).

Note: “looking to yourself.” When someone attacks us personally, we are in danger too. Their sin may be rudeness. Ours may become pride, resentment, bitterness, sarcasm, or the desire to humiliate them back. So yes, speak if there is opportunity. But speak like a man whose own soul is also under judgment.

Nathan confronted David’s sin directly. He did not flatter him. He did not dodge the issue. But famously said, “Thou art the man,” triggering David’s self-examination, awareness, and repentance. That was the prophet’s goal.

You see, a fleshly man wants to humiliate the lost. A faithful man presents the Word of God to the rude, the proud, the worldly so that they may see themselves clearly before God.

And if they will not? Leave them alone. Not in hatred. Not because truth failed.
But because you cannot repent for another person.

No word is sharp enough to make a man love truth while he is determined to believe a lie.

There comes a point when you stop trying to craft the silver-bullet-phrase you think will bypass another’s pride — your own version of “thou art the man.” Just remember many inspired prophets told sinful kings “thou art the man,” but then were promptly executed.

Jesus already had perfect words, perfect timing, perfect courage, perfect compassion, and perfect wisdom. Still, most walked away. No word is sharp enough to make a man love truth while he is determined to believe a lie (2 Thess. 2:10-11).

So speak truth. Answer wisely. Correct gently. Refuse retaliation. Examine yourself. And when the heart remains hard, leave the conscience with God.