In keeping with the previous post — I want to continue with the thought of trying to keep our Christianity true. Not just saying it and then doing something else.
In Luke 16:15 Jesus discusses something that is not a recent problem. Jesus’ words come after another “confrontation” with the Pharisees. In verse 13 Jesus had just taught about ‘how no one can serve two masters…you cannot serve both God and Money.’ (NIV)
Verse 14 talks about the Pharisees who loved money, heard what Jesus was saying and sneered at him.
To that Jesus replied to them in verse 15 “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” (NIV)
Justifying yourselves in the sight of men is not a recent problem. We see very clearly that the Pharisees did this — we do it. They were good at it — we are very good at it.
The Pharisees often appeared in garbs of piety. We wear our Christianity like a label. “See, see I’m a Christian” we say.
The Pharisees made pious pretentions to impress the populace with their religion and we, sadly, sometimes fall into the same trap.
God tells us that those who love the praise the men more than than the praise of God are not looked at favorably to say the least.
This is a continual problem today, nothing new. We need to be careful in that regard — to make sure our Christianity is pure and true.
We must avoid the desire of the Pharisees in Matthew 23:5 where Jesus said. “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long.”
In other words their religion was for show — sometimes ours is too. It should never be that way.
