Luke 20:45-47 (ESV)
[45] And in the hearing of all
the people he said to his disciples, [46] “Beware of the scribes, who like to
walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best
seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, [47] who devour
widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the
greater condemnation.”
Flashy clothing, public
greetings, significant seating, and places of honor, these are the things that
the scribes sought. It’s not all that different today. We clamor for acknowledgement.
We like to be seen as someone important. We love personal and business titles.
We want to be recognized. There is a place for titles and credentials, but we
must be careful to never get our identity from them. Having a doctorate doesn’t
necessarily make one smarter, but it might qualify one for a particular role or
position. Sitting on stage at a college graduation doesn’t make one more
important than those working in the kitchen.
Jesus said in Mark 10:45, “For
even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as
a ransom for many.” If anyone deserved public greetings, significant seating,
and places of honor it was Jesus, but that’s not what he came for. The scribes
were there to “study the Law, transcribe it, and write commentaries on it.”[1] That made their job
important. They assumed that because their job was important, they were
important. And because they were important, they should be acknowledged as
important. With importance should come privilege. Therefore, they made sure
everyone knew how important they were.
That mindset is easily seen today
in our celebrity culture, but it also easily slips into the church. When a
church leader feels the need to emphasize his/her title, education, or
experience in order to make their point, they have started down the slippery
slope of self-importance. When our feelings are hurt because we are not the ones
who were asked to give a prayer, or a devotional, or speak at an event, then we
know that we are on that slippery slope. When we are not given credit for
something that we were a part of creating, do we feel the need to make sure
everyone knows that it was our idea? We’re on dangerous ground.
We were placed here to serve, not
be served. That’s the mistake the scribes made. Jesus is warning his disciples.
I can’t help but think that the warning is not only to beware of the scribes’
teaching, but to beware of the scribes’ attitude. After all, these are the Apostles
he is talking to. They are known as those who are in Jesus’ inner circle. Doesn’t
that make them important? So Jesus says, “Beware!”
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