Who's Looking

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

WHO’S LOOKING

Mark 12:38-40

38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely." 

NIV

Jesus has very strong language against those who pretend to be religious but merely do so for the praise of men. Again Matthew gives us a little more insight into what Jesus was talking about regarding these teachers of the law. Mark just mentions their flowing robes, however, there is more than just their robes. It was the custom of the Jewish men to wear what is called a phylactery on their foreheads during prayer in the synagogue. This was a little black leather box in which four parchments that had four sections of the Law written out. They also had leather bands on their forearm and tassels on their garments were supposed to be of a specific length, however, these teachers made them longer, to show how greater was their position in the synagogue. They made their phylacteries larger as well, as to be more important, making a big show of their importance. Matthew also includes they put heavy loads on men, preaching what is right in the sight of God, but they do not do as they preach, they do not even lift a finger, as Jesus puts it. This can also translate into prayer, and how they prayed on the street corners, with long drawn out prayers, words, and words of prayer, that appear to be spiritual, using words that were not of normal speech. This devouring widows' houses were all about how they would take advantage of the poor widows, giving them counsel, but at a cost, soaking them dry of all their late husband’s resources. We would never do that in regards to the widows, but we might be in danger as far as trying to look more spiritual than we are, especially in our wordy prayers we offer up in the public or church arena. Why do we feel we need to use special words when we talk to God? Do we pray that same way in private as we do in public? Then there is the issue of feeling the need of bowing our heads and closing our eyes. Is that really needed in order to talk to God? Perhaps we have just developed some traditional practices that make us feel better about prayer or communicating with our Lord. Hopefully, we do not consider ourselves in the upper crust of church society because we have some title or position, such as pastor, elder, deacon, board member, or whatever each denomination refers to such people serving in those areas. We understand we all are simple sinners saved by grace and each member of the body of Christ has a function, a calling, so to speak, for some area of service in the body. If a member of our physical body ceases to function as it should, we would be considered in some sense ill, or sick. So it is with the body of Christ. We all are members who need to do our part. Jesus is making that point, that these men, or for the matter, all of us, need not make ourselves look more important than others for the sake of who is looking.