The PassionNäide

In Matthew 22, the religious leaders had tried to publicly entrap Jesus in His words, and to their shock, Jesus wipes the floor with them. They have failed to recognise that Jesus is both the Christ, from the line of David, and the authoritative Son of God. Why can’t they see Jesus for who He is? They are blinded by pride.

The Pharisees and the scribes wanted everyone to know how spiritual they were. Phylacteries are little boxes worn on the forehead with scriptures inside, as written about in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, which includes an instruction to wear God’s words on your heart, hand, and between your eyes; some conservative Jewish men still wear them today. But to the Pharisees in Jesus’ time, it was the bigger the better! The same went for the fringes of their prayer shawls.

Jesus highlights here that their spiritual privilege was given to them so they could help the common people know and love God more, not to make themselves look spiritually superior or to get special privileges or social standing.

It is so easy for us, too, to show off the holy parts of ourselves and to hide the sins and imperfections we are ashamed of. It is easy for us to compensate for our shame by trying to look better than others. But among our brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus says we are not to be like that. We are to humbly help each other run the race, speaking truth in love, bearing one another's burdens. In Jesus’ kingdom, if we want to be great, we need to serve others and put ourselves last.

Today, ponder this: Where and how have you tried to look better, or ‘be’ better, than other Christians? When have you demanded a standard of holiness of someone else that you haven’t lived up to yourself? How is Jesus calling you, empowered by His Holy Spirit, to walk alongside and bear the burdens of your brothers and sisters? Pray that Jesus would grow humility and servanthood in us.