Beware of…
But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Luke 20:41-47)
In this instance, Jesus challenged the religious leaders’ understanding of the Messiah. These leaders had prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture, yet they failed to grasp who Jesus truly was. They assumed they had all the answers and knew the truth, but they failed to see Truth standing in front of them. And when Jesus spoke truth with authority, they hated Him for it and were stirred with so much jealousy, they wanted to kill Him. In the same way, we must be careful not to think we have everything figured out, especially when it comes to God – pride blinds us to truth.
Jesus then warned His disciples about the scribes, exposing their desire for honor, status, and recognition by specific examples in their behavior. The scribes used their positions and titles for personal gain, taking advantage of others, like widows, while appearing righteous and likely even self-deceiving of how spiritual they really were. The truth of the matter is that the scribes focus was on being exalted in this life, but Jesus made it clear that those who live life that way would receive a greater condemnation.
If our goal is to gain status, admiration, or earthly rewards, then that is all we will receive. But if we live for Christ, surrendering our pride and our selfish ambition, we will gain something far greater – Him. Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The question is, are we seeking temporary glory of our own in being driven by our pride, or are we living for God’s glory being driven by humble submission to Him, knowing that one day we’ll gain being with Christ for eternity?
Let’s take a quick moment to do a heart check, just you and the Lord:
- Do you seek recognition, acknowledgement, or thanks, or do you serve in humility solely for the glory of God?
- Do you act spiritual for others to see, putting on a persona of Christianity afraid that others might not see you as a mature Christian, or do you truly hunger for God and obey His words to grow deeper and more mature in Him?
Let’s not settle for fleeting praise and waste time acting like we think we “should” just to gain the perception and opinions of others – instead let’s live for Christ alone, knowing that in the end, HE is our greatest reward.