A leadership consultant named Andy Neale gives advice for success in business. One of his articles is titled “The Danger of Being Unteachable,” and it relates a true story about a couple who decided to open a franchise store in the fast-food industry. The franchise had existed for more than twenty-five years and its business model had a proven record of success. Yet, after just two years of operation, the couple had to close their doors. According to them, the failure was because of the franchise company—they said there was not enough corporate support. However, when they returned their proprietary materials to the company, the director of franchising noticed that an item called the “Playbook” was still in mint condition. The Playbook contained detailed, month-by-month instructions for running the business, but the couple had never opened it. The franchise director commented that the locations that fail all have one thing in common: the owners do not use the Playbook. In fact, in that same general region where this couple failed, some of the franchise’s most profitable locations were still in business. When those owners were asked why they were doing so well, it was not because they had a novel strategy or special insight. According to them, their success came from simply following the Playbook.¹

The point of the article was that to succeed in business, owners must be eager to learn—they must be teachable. People who think they have nothing to learn have no way to realize they are wrong except through failure. Overconfidence is a type of arrogance, which causes them to forfeit opportunities for growth and improvement.

Having a teachable spirit will help in every area of life, but especially in spiritual matters. The Word of God says, “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured” (Proverbs 13:18). God has provided the Bible to teach us. In a sense, it is like our “Playbook” for spiritual success. However, if we leave it unread, it does us no good. If we read it but make excuses to dismiss what it says, it cannot benefit us. The outcome of an unteachable spirit is certain failure.

Being teachable means seeking the truth and then embracing it when we find it. That is what brings spiritual success. It is a choice that we make, and we do well to avoid the mistakes of the unteachable and to emulate the positive attributes of those who have been willing and eager to learn.

Disciples vs. Pharisees

One of the greatest differences between Jesus’ disciples and the Pharisees was that the disciples were teachable and the Pharisees were not. In John chapter 9, we find an account that shows this contrast clearly. It tells of a man who was born blind. Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” Christ quickly corrected their way of thinking. We might say that Jesus saw their question as “a teachable moment.” He told them, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” This was a simple lesson for the disciples because they were eager to learn.

The account goes on to relate that Jesus healed the man, and then his neighbors began to ask questions. They were naturally very curious about the miracle that had just taken place. He told them what had happened: “A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight” (verse 11). He just stated the facts.

Next, we read about the unteachable Pharisees. They had already rejected Jesus before this healing took place, and they learned nothing from this encounter with Him. Their actions highlight four common downfalls of the unteachable.

They thought they knew better than everyone else. The Pharisees studied the Scriptures more than most and prided themselves in how well they knew and obeyed God’s commands. Based on their own understanding, they believed that God would not heal someone on the Sabbath. After hearing that Jesus had healed the blind man on the Sabbath, some of the Pharisees concluded that it could not have been God who had healed him, and therefore, Jesus was not of God (verse 16). They could not have been more wrong! Even worse, their pride made them close minded to other possibilities. Rather than re-examining their interpretation of the Law, they insisted that the Man who had just performed a miracle was wrong. Those who thought they knew it all, knew nothing at all. Even with the Son of God Himself there to teach them, they were unwilling to be corrected.

An unteachable spirit did more than anger or frustrate the Lord; it broke His heart.

They did not allow facts to change their beliefs. While some of the Pharisees decided that Jesus was not of God, verse 18 says that others concluded that the man who was healed had not actually been born blind! He gave his testimony himself, but they rejected it because it did not line up with their preconceived notions. Verses 22-24 explain that these Jews had previously determined that Jesus was a sinner and that anyone who followed Him would be put out of their synagogue. In the face of a testimony that directly contradicted their beliefs, they remained intent on justifying their own way of thinking.

They made up their own rules. God did give restrictions about what could be done on the Sabbath, yet the Pharisees made up many more rules of their own. Several times during His ministry, Jesus taught that it is lawful to do good and to do God’s work on the Sabbath. At times He also rebuked the Pharisees because they knew what the Law said but did not apply it to their lives. The Apostle Paul explained that the Law was meant to bring the Jewish people to Christ (see Galatians 3:24). But because of an unteachable attitude, the very thing that was designed to reveal their need of Christ became a self-imposed stumbling block that prevented them from seeing Him as their Savior. Rather than accepting God’s ways, they added manmade rules to the Law, further distancing themselves from Him.

They were judgmental. The Pharisees were more interested in correcting others than in learning from God. In this account, the religious leaders eventually barred the healed man from the synagogue, saying, “Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?” (verse 34). Instead of reconsidering their own beliefs, the Pharisees condemned anyone who held different beliefs—even the one God had just chosen to heal. The Pharisees were wrong about so much, and their errors multiplied because they were unteachable.

An unteachable spirit did more than anger or frustrate the Lord; it broke His heart. One time, as Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem, He wept over it and said, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes” (Luke 19:42). The Lord had wonderful intentions for the Jews, and it grieved Him to see them push Him away and deny the truth. God feels the same way today when He tries to draw people to salvation and they ignore or reject Him, preferring to live according to their own rules and laws. Sadly, those who are unteachable in time become unreachable. Proverbs 15:32 tells us, “He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul.”

It is much more encouraging to consider what God does for those who are eager to learn. Along with the disciples, the man who was healed also demonstrated a teachable spirit. In fact, by the end of the account, he too was a follower of Christ. Four characteristics stand out in his actions; these qualities are what made him teachable, and what ultimately resulted in his healing and salvation.

Humility. One way that we know the blind man was humble is that he allowed the Lord to anoint his eyes with clay made out of spittle (verse 6). Scripture does not record that Jesus had ever done that before, though He had healed others prior to this encounter. Yet, the blind man didn’t reject Jesus for working in an unexpected way, and that type of humility is key to being teachable.

Obedience. Being humble led the blind man to become obedient. He received an instruction from the Lord to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, and without questioning, he did what he was told. Verse 7 says that he came back with his sight restored.

Open heartedness. This man knew the Pharisees’ negative view of Jesus. However, his heart was open to other possibilities, and because of that he was able to learn valuable truths. After he was healed, he told the Pharisees, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. . . . If this man were not of God, he could do nothing” (verses 31, 33). In just a single encounter, this man learned something more valuable than the Pharisees had learned in their years of study! When a person gets to the place where his heart is open and truly teachable, it doesn’t take long at all for the Lord to share deep truths.

Submission. After he was kicked out of the synagogue, Jesus found the man and asked, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” He responded, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?” We can see that he was eager to learn more from the Lord—he had a desire to know the truth. Jesus answered, “Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee,” and the man replied: “Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him” (verses 35-38). This demonstrates a spirit of submission to God. When the Lord revealed that He was the Christ, he worshiped. He received the full blessing that God had for him.

A spirit of submission to God is critical to being teachable, and it was something the Pharisees lacked. In Romans 10:2-3, Paul wrote this about the Jewish religious leaders: “They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” Their pride, arrogance, and stubbornness caused them to be unteachable.

On the other hand, teachable people never stop learning. If we were to ask the oldest individuals in our congregation whether they have learned everything there is to learn about the Lord, the answer would certainly be no. The Bible says we are to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Every day is a new experience with the Lord so there is always more to learn.

Learn from Christ

In Matthew 11:29 the Lord offered a wonderful invitation: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Do you need rest for your soul? Do you need wisdom or guidance to navigate a difficult situation? Come and learn of the Lord. He is willing to teach you, and it is your choice whether or not to be teachable. Humble yourself, be obedient and open to Him, and submit yourself to God. He will help you with whatever you need.

¹ Andy Neillie, “The Danger of Being Unteachable,” Neillie Leadership Group, July 10, 2018, https://neillieleadershipgroup.com/the-danger-of-being-unteachable/.