As we continue our walk through Luke 11 and the sorrows Jesus pronounced over the Pharisees we need to continue to check our own hearts to see where we stand with the Lord in these areas of faith.
The Second Woe
“Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces (Luke 11:43).
Again, we need to remember that when Jesus said “Woe” he wasn’t pronouncing a curse but more of a warning for impending sorrow and even destruction if their hearts were not realigned with the Father’s heart. The diagnosis given by the great physician here was that these men who presumably loved God, loved the admiration of men even more. Jesus spoke to that issue on numerous occasions.
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 (Luke 20:46). Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ (Mt.23:5-7).
In the Kingdom of God motives matter. These religious leaders were more motivated by the praise of men than the praise of God. It’s not that they weren’t doing good things. They were certainly solid citizens who lived moral lives and frequented the synagogues and temple on every occasion. More than likely they gave generously to the temple and even gave alms to the poor. But Jesus nailed them on their motives for doing good things – “Everything they do is done for men to see.”
The Achilles heal of these religious leaders was that they wanted to fit in. They wanted to be well thought of. They wanted status and standing and invitations to the best events. In a sense, they assumed that if they were pleasing to men and if they were given the most honored seats at the table then they must be pleasing to God as well. Without knowing it, they gravitated to the desires of the flesh and in doing so became insensitive to God’s leading. Ultimately, their desire for the praise of those closest around them eventually moved them into a compromised position with the culture at large. In order to maintain their standing among men – which included fine houses, fine clothes, and invitations to state events – they became politically correct in their proclamations and even in their theological positions.
Undoubtedly they justified their compromise with the thought that they had to meet the Romans halfway in order to stay in their leadership roles and they could only protect the faith and the faithful by continuing in their positions as leaders. They could only cash in on their political and business connections for the “sake of the church” if they continued to move in those favored and powerful circles. In the end, they crucified Jesus for those very reasons.
Jesus is clear that man cannot serve two masters. We cannot be friends with the world and friends with God. There will be many times when we can’t please both men and God – we will have to choose and the choice is the thing. John tells us that, “among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (Jn.12:42-43).
In our own hearts it is easy to slip into compromise with the world for the sake of getting along and even for the sake of maintaining relationships. Jesus does not ask us to go around picking fights with everyone and everything that doesn’t line up with the Bible. What he does ask is that in our own hearts we make the decision that when forced to choose, we will always choose Jesus and be obedient to him even when that choice will cost us favor at work, potentially damage friendship, or even a end a romantic relationship if you are single.
We have entered an era in America when Biblical Christianity is not popular or acceptable in many circles…even among many who claim to follow Christ. In our culture, declaring that Jesus is the only way to heaven rather than one of many ways will place you in the camp of the intolerant. To stand in a classroom and make a case for creationism will place you in the camp of the ignorant. To take a stand against abortion will cast you in the role of the oppressor trying to take away the sacred rights of women. To speak out against homosexuality will define you as an opponent of civil rights and since you oppose civil rights you must also be a racist. In the face of cultural condemnation we will, like numerous politicians, be tempted to compromise or water down our statements to avoid offense. We will be tempted to speak in generalities and talk around clear biblical truth.
At each of those moments we will simply have to make a decision – will we seek the praise of men or the praise of God? If you want the grace and the power of God to flow through you then check the biblical record. God worked in powerful ways for and through those men and women who would not compromise with the world or bow the knee to the idols that kings had commanded them to worship. Moses, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Daniel, the prophets, and the apostles were all politically incorrect and inevitably placed themselves at odds with the culture they were trying to win for the Lord. But consider what God did through them. They turned the world upside down.
We must all check our hearts from time to time to see whose approval we truly desire the most. When we fail to speak to someone about Jesus, fail to pray for the blind woman in Starbucks, fail to seek our prayer language because our family might think it is weird, or fail to speak out against sin in our culture…it is simply because we fear man rather than God or want man’s approval more than the approval of our King. We have all given into the impulse and we all have to guard against it for “woe” to us when we do things primarily to be seen and accepted by men. When I know I have given into that fear then repentance is the key. Recommit to live without compromise and ask God for the boldness to live with him as the audience we care about.
Father, give me a heart that desires to please only you and the boldness to act on that desire. In Jesus name. Amen
