30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 11 37-54 Repenting from hypocrisy Woe 10
📖 Luke 11:37-54
*Pride goes before a fall* _Luke 11:37-54_
Our Lord is confronting the Pharisees and the religious leaders by addressing issues in their life, which they were blinded about. Our Lord loved them and longed for them to repent and turn to Him but repentance and turning to God was the not in their heart and mind. They considered themselves righteous and it was sinners, who needed repentance _Luke 11:42. Friends, do we see how easily we too can become pharisaical, if we are not open to God’s correction?_ Let us remember that our Lord is not only reaching out to the Pharisees but as He is reaching out to them, we too are being taught and warned as to how we need to live.
The Pharisees went around in long robes, loved to be greeted in the market places and looked for the best seats in feasts and in the synagogues _Mark 12:38-39/Luke 20:46._ Our Lord is warning us to beware of this sort of behaviour and to ensure that this is not happening in our lifestyle. _Have we paid to heed to our Lord’s warning? I think not._ When I look around and also see within, in my own spirit, I see that I too get carried away and I enjoy the recognition and the admiration. _Friends, we need to deal with this issue ruthlessly, both in public as well as in private life._
If we do not give heed to this warning, then we are confirming what our Lord is telling us, which is, “We will not be able to believe Him, when we receive honour from one another, and do not seek the honour that comes from the only God _John 5:44, 41._ This matter of seeking for recognition and importance from society, will cause a curtain to fall over our hearts, causing us not to believe in His word. We will pay intellectual acceptance to God’s word but we will not bring it into application into our lives. _When I see how much of seeking for importance and recognition, goes on in our churches and Christian organisations, it is very clear to me that the curtain has fallen over our hearts and we are people, who are only hearers of His word but not doers._
Why do we love recognition and importance? What is the root cause? The root is the sin of pride. The self is seated on the throne of our hearts. We claim to be God’s people, living under the lordship of Christ but that is not true, for the self is on the throne of our hearts and directing our lives. Let us remember that pride goes before a fall _Proverbs 16:18._ We will destroy ourselves, if we allow this manner of behaviour to continue. We must dethrone the self and enthrone Christ, by the enablement of the Holy Spirit.
Every time, we recognise the self, seeking some sort of importance and recognition, we must deal with it ruthlessly and practically. We must, very intentionally, take effort to remove every form of show or pomp in our life. Instead, what we need to focus and give attention to, is to regard and be affectionate to one another, preferring the other _Romans 12:10/Philippians 2:3._
We must also, very intentionally, look out for the poor, for the marginalised, for the one who is stigmatised by society and give them honour and respect _James 2:2-4._
*Thought to ponder*
```GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.```