Humbling

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

HUMBLING

Luke 20:39-47

39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, "Well said, teacher!" 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions. 41 Then Jesus said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? 42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand 43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '    44 David calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"  45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." 

NIV

This “Well said, teacher!” response from some of the teachers of the law was to his teaching on rendering to Caesar that which is Caesar’s and render onto God that which is God’s. So Jesus continues with another question to them about himself, but they are not sure just what he said, yet he makes it clear he is the Son of David. He is the Messiah that comes from the line of David and he is the Lord. When he turns to his disciples to give them a warning, it is in the presence of all the people who had been listening to him which included the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders. Jesus warns his disciples about those who appear to be religious, taking advantage of the poor for their own personal gain and glorious living. It would serve us well to also pay attention to this warning. First to be aware of those who live the life Jesus was describing here. Second to make sure we are not living in the manner described by Jesus. There are people within Christianity today who wear those flowing robes and love to be greeted and have the most important seats in church as well as in social settings. Their robes are ones of self-righteousness and self-importance. They want everyone to greet them because of their importance to the church. They garner followers appearing to be intellectual scholars of the word. They devour the poor to support their own personal gain, either those poor in money or poor in spiritual understanding. Their prayers are more like sermons then prayers to show how spiritual they think they are. We should stay clear of this type of Christianity. Second we should make sure we do not become like them. We need to see our place in the body of Christ with all humility. If we are used by the Spirit to serve within the body we need to serve with all humility, knowing our gift, our service is the result of God and not of our own making. We should always point to Jesus rather than ourselves. Is there any one of us who is more important than another in the sight of God? Then we should also see the body of Christ as God sees it. Yes, we all are a part, but each part member is dependent on all the other parts, or members, none being more important than the others. This is in sharp contrast to those Jesus describes here. Anything we do, anything we say, anything we are, is completely due to God. We are and can do nothing apart from him. We are because of him. Knowing this is truly humbling.