As you follow the life, message, and ministry of Jesus, it doesn’t take long to really learn a few things. In fact, it’s kind of right there in your face (over and over and over again).
Let’s broach this in the form of a question. Here it is: How often did Jesus call out the religious people in the NT? I’m not looking for a numerical guess here, so you don’t have to worry about thinking of a # in your mind. Rather, it is best to answer it this way: Jesus called them out ALL…THE…TIME.
And in a clear majority of the time, it was for 2 predominate issues:
- Selfishness, and
- Self righteousness.
Go ahead and look. Read. Study. Dig deep into the Gospel records. Google it. He takes the leaders of the law and the Pharisees to task. He points out their motives, but most critically, he dissects their hearts. You see, Jesus makes the point that no one has to point out their “faithful acts” or do things “where everyone can see.” Some of that is unavoidable, at times, in our modern culture and day – but He goes on to establish that “God knows!”
The 2 items mentioned above: selfishness | self righteousness are the current trend in our day, and they have unfortunately infiltrated the church. It is our responsibility to ensure that we adhere to the heart of our Lord. If we “need” other people knowing about what we do, or how we pray, or what we give, in order to fill validated, then we need to re-evaluate. Jesus makes it clear: “God knows!” and that’s all that matters.
Let’s not fall into the trap the leaders of the law and the Pharisees did. Let’s allow God to elevate us to newer heights, where the Spirit of God can lead us into all truth. This is what truly matters.
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