"All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord." ~Solomon
Jesus reserved his most stinging rebukes for the teachers of the law and the Pharisees yet he admonishes the crowds and his disciples to obey them and do everything they told them. They sat in Moses' seat and therefore, people were to respect the position but they were not to copy thier motives. These men did everything for others to see. They were showmen and salesmen. I can almost hear him hiss, "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" I love to imagine the scene where Jesus just cuts loose on the Pharisees in Matthew 23. I imagine myself standing there going, "Yeah... yeah!" with my head bobbing in agreement. Until I realize that I could easily fall into these woes. Did I share any of thier motives? Had I become a hypocrite?
How easy it is to neglect the more important matters of the law- justice, mercy and faithfulness. How natural to look good on the outside and deny that the inside is dirty. Motives become murky and ceremony replaces fellowship. "But I'm doing it for you, Lord," I'll say. Oh, really? That's when it's time to drag out the motives and examine them closely. I'm thankful that these altercations were recorded. Not only for the slap the Pharisees got but for the nudge of the shepherds rod in my life. I pray that the Holy Spirit will expose any unclean motives I have and continue to show me his ways.
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." ~Paul
No comments:
Post a Comment