If there is one thing that I can confidently say, it is that seminary causes a person to think. A good portion of that time will be spent contemplating ideas one has never delved into, for whatever reason. Another portion of that time will be spent in personal reflection. This period of time is almost worse than the time spent thinking on a new thought or idea, simply because you are forced to look at yourself. The more honest you are, the more difficult the reflection becomes.
Last night I was working on an assignment and we were looking at Mark 11:27-12:44. In these verses, Jesus encounters the Pharisees, Herodians and the Sadducees, each of which is messed up in their own right. For the assignment though, I needed a definition/description of each group. What caused me to pause was the definition of a Pharisee. A Pharisee was a Jewish religious leader that prided themself on keep the commandments/laws of God. As a quick side note, this meant more than the 10 Commandments, and today it means following 631 laws. Along with this though was another description that frightend me, as I saw myself being described.
The Pharisees, along with their religious practices, were known for casting a disparaging opinion on those who did not follow the law. Keep in mind, they looked like the most holy people to everyone else and they acted in such a manner. On the inside though, they were not clean. They were full of self-motivated ideas intentions. They were concerned about receiving honor from the people and being well-known and praised. They thought that God's will matched their list of wants and desires.
The more I read, the more I could replace Pharisee with Chris. It was a sad revelation but a good reminder that we all can become like the Pharisees. How easy is it for us to seek the praise of man? How easy is it for us to think that our wants and desires are God's will? How easy is it for us to cast a disparaging glare towards someone who does something we view as sin?
2 comments:
As a child I relished the praise of my father, now long in the grave. The praise I look for now will hopefully come from God. I long to hear the words "Well Done"
MMM
When it all comes down to it, that is all that really matters. It is nice to hear the uplifting words and praise from others, here in this life, but no matter how good the words or who they come from, they are not words that will fill every longing desire. Only God's words can fill that need.
Post a Comment