Luke 22:1-2 (ESV) - Irony and Hypocrisy

Luke 22:1-2 (ESV)

[1] Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. [2] And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

How ironic. The season in which all Israel celebrates their deliverance from slavery is the time that the spiritual leaders of the nation plot to kill an innocent man. It is appropriate. As the day approached in Egypt the families prepared the lamb for slaughter. Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So theologically one would expect this to be the time for his death. But when the priests and scribes should be preparing for one of Israel’s high days of worship, they are instead plotting the death of their messiah.

When they should be remembering their deliverance, they are actually securing their own destruction. It makes me wonder how often we do the same thing. We celebrate our freedom in Christ while insisting on a legalistic approach to obedience. We pray for the lost in other countries but shun the lost in our own. We decry injustice toward Christians while justifying injustice toward unbelievers. Are we really all that different from the priest and scribes?

God, help me see the hypocrisy in my own life. May I confess it quickly. And may I learn to see through your eyes and love with your heart.


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