Jesus criticized the Pharisees for being addicted to receiving praise. It was their adrenaline rush, their drug of choice. What happens to us if we are addicted to the approval of others? Our source of happiness becomes applause, instead of God. We believe that only when we are receiving honor, our lives are in control. We are nurtured by the admiration of others rather than by God. The shame of being reliant upon others to feed an approval addiction becomes unbearable.
Psychological dependence on the praise of others leads to spiritual, physical, social and emotional destruction. Dependency upon others' praise makes us people pleasers rather than God pleasers. In leadership, decisions are made to please people rather than God. Warning signs of this addiction in us are if we do all our deeds to be seen by others, love attention-grabbing religious garb, love the chief seats and to be greeted with religious titles in public places. That's what Jesus said.
Unbearable Religious Demands
I know a church, where the pastor places heavy burdens upon his flock. His people get up at sunrise several mornings a week and go to the church building to pray, and then they go about their daily work, while the pastor goes home to rest.
Other Christians also bear heavy loads. They have missed the boat on grace and mercy. For whatever reason, they have landed in the midst of Christian Pharisees who have taught them a touch not, taste not religion. They have learned all the rules they must keep in order to belong to their Ordnung or sect, but have learned little of the grace of Christ.
Such Christians have been given heavy burdens, hard to bear. Their pastors don't bear the same burdens that they expect their people to carry and they are unwilling to lift the burdens that they have laid upon their churches. That's what Jesus said. I say let God's people go free.
Other Christians also bear heavy loads. They have missed the boat on grace and mercy. For whatever reason, they have landed in the midst of Christian Pharisees who have taught them a touch not, taste not religion. They have learned all the rules they must keep in order to belong to their Ordnung or sect, but have learned little of the grace of Christ.
Such Christians have been given heavy burdens, hard to bear. Their pastors don't bear the same burdens that they expect their people to carry and they are unwilling to lift the burdens that they have laid upon their churches. That's what Jesus said. I say let God's people go free.
How Practice what we Preach
We are all inconsistent to some extent. It is embarrassing when someone publicly points out a contradiction in our lives. It's harder not to be a hypocrite if what we preach is overly strict obedience to petty rules than if we preach mercy and grace. However, we are expected to have a certain measure of credibility. We can't just talk the talk. We must also walk the walk, albeit imperfectly.
Legalism tends to make us hard on others and soft on ourselves, because we cannot keep all of our petty rules perfectly. It creates hypocrisy, a form of self-deception. Mature Christians acknowledge flaws easily and don't pretend. Their preaching is merciful. The best preaching is open and honest about our own vulnerability. Then we are sincere and not pretenders. We are not play-acting or putting on a phony facade. We are genuine. It's not so hard to practice what we preach if what we preach is grace instead of legalism.
Legalism tends to make us hard on others and soft on ourselves, because we cannot keep all of our petty rules perfectly. It creates hypocrisy, a form of self-deception. Mature Christians acknowledge flaws easily and don't pretend. Their preaching is merciful. The best preaching is open and honest about our own vulnerability. Then we are sincere and not pretenders. We are not play-acting or putting on a phony facade. We are genuine. It's not so hard to practice what we preach if what we preach is grace instead of legalism.
Four Criticisms of Religious Leaders
Church leaders deserve our constant support, prayers and encouragement. It's a tough appointment being out there on the front lines, and often disparaged for everything from their private lives to petty issues like the color of their car or the way they comb their hair. Backbiting rumormongers and so-called friendly fire do a lot of damage to churches. They demoralize and dishearten those who are doing the toughest jobs in the church and consequently injure the whole church.
On the other hand, there are criticisms of church overseers which are legitimate. When religious leaders do their job badly and are not reprimanded for their sins, the result is far more damaging. Jesus mentioned at least four valid criticisms in Matthew 23. They don't practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands. Everything they do is for show. They love receiving public honor. When church leaders fall for these traps, then sorrow awaits them. That's what Jesus said.
On the other hand, there are criticisms of church overseers which are legitimate. When religious leaders do their job badly and are not reprimanded for their sins, the result is far more damaging. Jesus mentioned at least four valid criticisms in Matthew 23. They don't practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands. Everything they do is for show. They love receiving public honor. When church leaders fall for these traps, then sorrow awaits them. That's what Jesus said.
Real National Leaders
Our real national leaders are not those in civil government. Those responsible for a nation's spiritual health are the leaders that God holds most accountable. The failure of religious leadership in Israel was so severe that Jesus did not have time for gentlemanly debate. In Matthew 23 his condemnation was blunt and severe.
Josephus records that the Pharisees were held in high esteem at this time in history, and some of them even became Christians, but the movement as a whole rejected God's Messiah and his divinity. Religious leadership had become corrupt beyond repair and it was time for change.
A nation's real leadership is among its spiritual heads. But, whenever religious leaders fall for the trap of an outward show to be seen by others, and the focus is on pious attire, when priests and pastors love the best seats, when they love public prestige and high titles, then a nation is in dire trouble. That's what Jesus said.
Josephus records that the Pharisees were held in high esteem at this time in history, and some of them even became Christians, but the movement as a whole rejected God's Messiah and his divinity. Religious leadership had become corrupt beyond repair and it was time for change.
A nation's real leadership is among its spiritual heads. But, whenever religious leaders fall for the trap of an outward show to be seen by others, and the focus is on pious attire, when priests and pastors love the best seats, when they love public prestige and high titles, then a nation is in dire trouble. That's what Jesus said.
A Disapproving & Derogatory Jesus
When we approach Matthew 23, we do not find the genteel and encouraging Jesus of popular imagination, but a caustic, critical and condemning Jesus. Why? Who was he referring to in such polemical tones? This is not an anti-Semitic chapter, but one targeting hypocritical religious leadership. Jesus' confrontation with the Jewish religious leaders was not over their ethnicity, but their deceitful loopholes to evade the law on the one hand and burdensome additions to it on the other.
Jesus did not deal with this matter privately but rather addressed his denunciation of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees to the crowds and his disciples. Paul also encouraged Timothy to publicly rebuke sinful leaders. Jesus strongly urges his hearers to follow the teachings of Moses that these religious leaders expounded, but not to do as they did, play the hypocrite. Any of us deserves the same criticism if we are like them. They didn't practice what they taught. That's what Jesus said.
Jesus did not deal with this matter privately but rather addressed his denunciation of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees to the crowds and his disciples. Paul also encouraged Timothy to publicly rebuke sinful leaders. Jesus strongly urges his hearers to follow the teachings of Moses that these religious leaders expounded, but not to do as they did, play the hypocrite. Any of us deserves the same criticism if we are like them. They didn't practice what they taught. That's what Jesus said.
God of the Living
Belief in an afterlife is scoffed at by many. They don’t hold onto any hope beyond the shallow pursuit of fleeting materialism. Even if they believe in a God, they underestimate his unlimited power. Yet, if he really is God, if he really did create everything, why would it be impossible for him to put life back into people who have died? Raising the dead ought to be a straightforward task for the one who made everything in the first place.
A common phrase regarding God in the Old Testament identifies him as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Long after they had died, God said, “I AM the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He did not say, “I WAS their God.” Although we know very little about the nature of eternity and the resurrection, we have quite a remarkable comment in Matthew 22:32. "He is the God of the living, not the dead.” That’s what Jesus said.
A common phrase regarding God in the Old Testament identifies him as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Long after they had died, God said, “I AM the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He did not say, “I WAS their God.” Although we know very little about the nature of eternity and the resurrection, we have quite a remarkable comment in Matthew 22:32. "He is the God of the living, not the dead.” That’s what Jesus said.
No Sex in Heaven?
When I was a young Christian bursting with procreative vigor, I was profoundly disappointed to find out that Jesus taught in Matthew 22:23-33 that there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage in the resurrection. I believed that one of life’s greatest delights would be denied us in heaven and was extremely disillusioned. Yet, it’s obvious that reproduction belongs to our mortal life not our eternity.
God’s intent for sex from the beginning was a man and a woman in an exclusive, life-long relationship. That quarantine guarantees the necessary protection for a family and the healthiest environment for nurturing the next generation. It is a deep bond with potential for the greatest human joy, yet surely what awaits us in eternity is even greater pleasure. Heavenly relationships will not be something less than marriage, but more. After all, our delight won’t be limited by a physical body, but we will be like the angels in heaven. That’s what Jesus said.
God’s intent for sex from the beginning was a man and a woman in an exclusive, life-long relationship. That quarantine guarantees the necessary protection for a family and the healthiest environment for nurturing the next generation. It is a deep bond with potential for the greatest human joy, yet surely what awaits us in eternity is even greater pleasure. Heavenly relationships will not be something less than marriage, but more. After all, our delight won’t be limited by a physical body, but we will be like the angels in heaven. That’s what Jesus said.
Xmas Myth #10 - Three Wise Men
No nativity scene would be complete without the three wise men, but it is historically vague. There is nothing in the Bible at all about there being three of them. There were wise men from the east that came to visit Jesus. The number three is speculation based upon the three types of gifts given – gold, frankincense and myrrh. There may have been more wise men. Some accounts give the number as four, two or even twelve.
The idea of these being kings may be correct based upon Psalm 72:10-11 where some kings were predicted to bring the Messiah tribute. The depiction of three kings in a stable is however, is probably not correct, because by the time they arrived, the family was already in a house (Matthew 2:11). Xmas is an opportunity to remember Jesus' birth and read the story in the Bible so that we can get it correct. May your Xmas be one filled with every blessing!
(Although I could go on, I will stop here with #10)
The idea of these being kings may be correct based upon Psalm 72:10-11 where some kings were predicted to bring the Messiah tribute. The depiction of three kings in a stable is however, is probably not correct, because by the time they arrived, the family was already in a house (Matthew 2:11). Xmas is an opportunity to remember Jesus' birth and read the story in the Bible so that we can get it correct. May your Xmas be one filled with every blessing!
(Although I could go on, I will stop here with #10)
Xmas Myth #9 - Wrong Date
Although early Christian scholars gave just about every month of the year as the month that Jesus was born, most today agree that Jesus was not born on December 25. Why was that date chosen? There are two possible answers. One is that December 25 was chosen as an evangelistic ploy to convert pagan tribes who already considered that date to be important. If so, it was a brilliant plan. Others say that it was chosen by early scholars who mistakenly believed that Jesus was born then.
It is not really important, because Xmas does not celebrate a date, but an event. Most Christians are quite aware that Jesus was probably not born on that date, and that nobody really knows for sure when he was born. What most Christians celebrate is an event which took place some time in the year. It was the most important birth of human history. May your Xmas be one filled with every blessing!
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