March 26, 2010
CHOOSE WELL
Matthew 23:1-12
Scott Michael
Central Truth
We can choose to either humble ourselves before the Lord or be humbled by our choices.
Key Verse | Matthew 23:12
"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23:12)
Matthew 23:1-12
Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, 1 23:4 Some manuscripts omit hard to bear and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi 2 23:7 Rabbi means my teacher, or my master; also verse 8 by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 3 23:8 Or brothers and sisters 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 23:1-12
Whether we like it or not, we are not in control. Thank You, Jesus!
Confession time: When I was first asked to write this Journey entry, I immediately started to think of the impression I was going to make (one way or the other) on you, the reader, with what I did or didn't know about God's Word.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? It's not that Christ didn't agree with what the Pharisees and Scribes were teaching (23:3), but He had a problem with the impossible demands they were putting on the people. They were telling the people to do one thing and then doing something else themselves. For the Pharisees and the religious elite of the day, it was all about show, prestige, respect, or better yet—pride.
I have also struggled with pride in my life. C.S. Lewis describes pride well in the book Mere Christianity as "spiritual cancer" and the opposite of humility. Micah 6:8 reminds me of what God requires of me, but I get to make a choice every day whether to "walk humbly with my God." Having a clear understanding of what humility is and isn't makes all the difference. It's not about thinking less about ourselves, but thinking about ourselves less. John Ortberg described it well in The Life You've Always Wanted as "being more about a healthy self forgetfulness and a freedom to quit trying or pretending to be something we are not." It is realizing God is God, and we are not.
Again, Jesus did not fault what the scribes and Pharisees said to do, but He challenged their hypocrisy because they did not practice what they taught. Will you follow Jesus' commands today with your choices and exalt Him, or will your choices ultimately lead to your humiliation?
Discussion Questions
1. Whom am I trying to serve—the Lord or my own interests?
2. To Jesus, greatness came from serving. What kind of greatness do you seek?
3. What is an area of your life in which you are exalting yourself? What can you do to walk more humbly with your Lord?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What did the Pharisees do to make themselves look great (verses 5-7)?
2. The Pharisees were focused on looking great, not on loving and following Jesus. Are you more focused on people thinking you are great or on loving and sharing Jesus?
3. How can you focus on loving Jesus more than being great?