Out Our Way: Check your cinch - Matthew 15:13-14

Out our way, the ups and downs of riding rough country call for extra care. I still remember helping out at an old deserted cemetery in Wyoming and one of the old timers told me how the grave we were clearing belonged to an 18-year-old cowhand who had not checked his cinch. Chasing a runaway steer, his saddle loosened, slid sideways, and he was dragged to his death. 

Believe me, I learned to check my cinch regularly. I tightened it as much as I could when I first saddled up and then I walked old Doc around a bit and checked it again. Not uncommonly, I found Doc had puffed out his belly when I first saddled him and sure enough, the cinch was loose when he loosed his breath. Things are not always what they seem and what appeared to be a tight cinch at first may actually be a loose one over time. 

We live in a time of "loose cinches" because we are often deceived into thinking they are tight. This is nothing new for history shows us that there have always been deceivers who gain control and power of us as individuals, as communities, and even as whole nations by fooling us into thinking "the cinch is tight." Sadly, like that young cowboy, we are often too lazy to double check. We are deceived by looks and appearances and so falsely accept as true what is not. The result is often disaster.

Jesus warned of false teachers and leaders in His day, for there were many - just as now. Supposed experts in the Law of Moses, deep spiritual leaders in the Temple, and popular rabbis who were more concerned about being popular and holding control over the people than being true to God. There are still false religious teachers who prey on the lazy and gullible to make their fortunes, but they are not alone ... for we live in a time when politicians, media moguls, celebrities, and local loudmouths do just the same. For where people get lazy and gullible, the corrupt and deceivers will quickly flock. These false guides assure us the "cinch is tight" for they insist they know better than we how to tighten a cinch. Further, they have managed to gain more gullible and foolish followers to scoff and laugh at us for questioning their "expertise," shaming us into accepting their word. And then the saddle loosens and we fall.

"Blind guides" is what Jesus calls these false teachers, for they truly do not see or know. He declares that like "weeds they will be eventually discovered and plucked out by the roots."

History has proven that to be true. Blind guides and false leaders have always worked their tragic magic on the foolish leading to great suffering by multitudes. Nietzche and Marx fooled millions. Their disciples, Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, etc., managed to destroy whole nations and corrupt millions into believing their lies. Many still do.

We see loosened cinches in our midst and hear false guides tell us they are tight. We cannot help those who choose to believe them - but we don't have to. Before you jump into the saddle to follow the "leader," check your cinch. Don't take their word that it is tight - check for yourself. And if you discover the cinch is loose despite what they claimed, rethink following them. The blind following the blind always get lost. 

Be blessed and be a blessing.

Brother John 

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The Rev. John Bruington is the retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Havre. He now lives in Colorado, but continues to write "Out Our Way."