Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
In His final public message, Jesus speaks of the danger of false teachers: “Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation” (Mark 12:38-40). In addition to their unholy desires for attention, power, and popularity, these religious leaders were notorious for their greed. As leaders, they often exercised judicial authority, including in monetary matters. It was thus possible for them to take financial advantage of widows, the most vulnerable people in that culture. This exploitation reveals the pernicious grasp that greed can have on anyone. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus warns, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate [choose against] the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [money],” Too many of the scribes had chosen to serve money rather than God. The same is true of the “name it and claim it” false teachers of our day; they are a stain on the testimony of the Church. Those who grab for money will find out that the money has grabbed them. Let us “beware” of false teachers who promote greed, and let us firmly reject their false teaching.