THE SHUTDOWN CHAPTER
Luke 20:45-47 NKJV 45 Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, 46 “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, 47 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
In Luke chapter 20, Jesus shuts down the Pharisees, the chief priests and elders, and the Sadducees. All three groups took Him on and confronted Him, and He shut each group down. It’s beautiful. I love how the Lord did not shy away from confrontation. He never confronted to be argumentative. He confronted when these groups were trying to trap Him or keep Him from helping the people.
At the conclusion of facing and successfully shutting down all three groups, Jesus turns and speaks to His disciples. But, as our Scriptures for today note, Jesus spoke so everyone could hear. He may have been speaking to His followers, but there was a warning given to the religious leaders.
It’s as if we can hear the edge in Jesus’ voice as He warns the people to beware of the scribes. Jesus did not have a tolerance for this group of people. His problem with them was fairly simple. They want the perks of religious leadership, but their actions disqualify them. These religious figures were a lot more show than go. They wore long robes, signifying how important they were. They loved that people knew their names and to have front row seats in the synagogues. These scribes wanted the hostess to sit them in the best places at feasts. They loved the acclaim they received.
But. They would take from widows instead of taking care of widows. All in the name of God. They would make long prayers, but there was no heart behind it. All was for show. And the very ones who should have been leading with their examples were taking advantage of people. Jesus had no time for this and declared they would receive greater condemnation. They knew more of what God expected from those He gave leadership roles. They knew what God expected of them but chose to ignore His law and ways. To whom more was given, more was expected. These guys were falling short on all accounts. Not only did Jesus warn the people not to follow them, but to beware of them.
APPLICATION
I can understand some of how Jesus felt. I remember going to conferences in the 90s, and people were literally pushing people to the side to get a good seat up front when the doors opened. I wondered if the blessing they were trying to achieve by getting a front-row seat was lost when they pushed someone out of the way to get there.
Human nature wants to be exalted. The culture of God’s Kingdom is to exalt God and exalt others. God is more interested in our hearts. How we appear to others is not the whole story or the real story. This is why Jesus said that you will know them by their fruits. What is produced in our lives speaks the loudest. Our American penchant for creating celebrities out of sports stars, actors, and even ministers is not helping us. The star is Jesus, and we all are supporting cast.
PRAYER
Lord, help me to remember that it’s not what people think but what You think that matters most. I want to live my life before You, not before men.