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- Oct 26, 2007
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Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, "who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation." Luke 20:45-47 NKJV
No wonder the Jewish religious leaders hated Jesus. How would you like to be on the receiving end of the words above? As people who thought they were so important, so far beyond everyone else, Jesus’ assessment must have cut to the quick. He had nailed their attitudes, actions, and aftereffects. They really couldn’t argue, so they simply fumed and plotted.
It’s easy to judge these men, but let’s beware of the pride in our own hearts. “Do not think of yourself moe highly than you ought,” Paul wrote (Romans 12:3). Both James and Peter quoted Proverbs 3:34: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5). We must consciously counter our pride, since our hearts are “deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9).
As Christians, we walk a tightrope—we’re a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17) still subject to the attack of both Satan and our own selfishness. A little humility will go a long way—all the way through eternity.
Prayer: Lord, help me recognize my pride and choose humility instead.
No wonder the Jewish religious leaders hated Jesus. How would you like to be on the receiving end of the words above? As people who thought they were so important, so far beyond everyone else, Jesus’ assessment must have cut to the quick. He had nailed their attitudes, actions, and aftereffects. They really couldn’t argue, so they simply fumed and plotted.
It’s easy to judge these men, but let’s beware of the pride in our own hearts. “Do not think of yourself moe highly than you ought,” Paul wrote (Romans 12:3). Both James and Peter quoted Proverbs 3:34: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5). We must consciously counter our pride, since our hearts are “deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9).
As Christians, we walk a tightrope—we’re a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17) still subject to the attack of both Satan and our own selfishness. A little humility will go a long way—all the way through eternity.
Prayer: Lord, help me recognize my pride and choose humility instead.
