“He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” [1]
During these festive days of celebrating the birth of the Son of God, Christ is the unrecognized guest at multiplied tables throughout the world. We celebrate His birth, and forget Who we celebrate. Perhaps you heard the story of an incident that occurred many years ago when wealthy parents had invited family and friends to celebrate the birth of their son? The incident was notable because of the neglect displayed by the new parents. As the invited guests arrived, the host hurriedly laid their coats on the bed in the master bedroom.
As guests filled the house, drinks were supplied liberally and gifts for the newborn child were piled high in the living room. At last, one of the guests asked to see the new arrival. When the mother went to the child’s bedroom, she was unable to find the infant. After an exhaustive search, the child was discovered lying under the pile of wraps tossed on the bed. The child had been laid on the bed in the eagerness to greet the first guests as they arrived. Those first wraps were casually tossed on the bed, and the coats and shawls of each guest that followed was added to the growing pile of winter wear. Neath all these outer garments, suffocated by the weight of the guests’ wraps, was the child whose birth they had gathered to celebrate.
It is a parable of our contemporary celebration of the birth of the Son of God. Eagerly celebrating His birth, we unwittingly smother Him beneath the symbols of our wealth and privilege. I recall an occasion when our family went into Vancouver to look at the displays in the main Woodward’s store. For those who were never able to see those displays, these were brilliant displays. The artistry and the craftsmanship were of such exquisite beauty that multitudes were drawn to walk the length of the windows just to view the scenes pictured there. As our family stood before one particular window with a nativity scene, we overheard a man behind us growl, “Those Christians! They have to interject their belief into everything—even Christmas!”
My point in relating that story from an earlier day is simply to point out our tendency to seize every opportunity to celebrate without actually thinking of the reason for the celebration. Christ, Who should be the centre of our celebration, is ignored in the midst of our festivities. He is shuttled into the background as the celebration itself takes precedence. I am always amazed at pictures of the Ginza, brightly lit with Christmas decorations during the season. What is amazing is that less than one percent of the population of Japan is Christian, and yet, the celebration assumes prominence. It isn’t that much different in other nations in which Christians are a definite minority.
Even Christmas! Imagine! Christians attempting to put Christ into Christmas! What chutzpah! What audacity! During my studies at the Einstein College of Medicine, though I had not yet come to faith in the Son of God, I was struck by the fact that even my Jewish colleagues sought to seize upon the celebration of Christmas. One memory is a brilliant molecular geneticist who put on a red stocking cap with a bell on the peak, loudly and repeatedly proclaiming himself to be “Hanukkah Claus.” Admittedly, I found it hilarious to see him with his dark beard and twinkling eyes walking the halls of the medical school with that stocking cap carefully placed over his yarmulke, proclaiming himself to be the embodiment of the season.
THE SON OF GOD DESPISED? REJECTED? REALLY? In a sermon that the Master delivered while He was seated on the side of a mountain, He cautioned those who heard Him with these words. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” [MATTHEW 7:13-14].
Jesus cautions us that there is a way that leads to destruction; and it is startlingly easy to travel that path. Travelling that path requires no particular effort—one need only go with the flow, moving along with the crowd. Just as there is a way that leads to destruction, so there is a way that leads to life; and travelling along that narrow way is demanding for any who seek to travel along that particular path. The path will demand one’s full attention since the path is strenuous. If you will transit this path, expect it to be narrow, expect it to require your full attention.
Does it seem odd to you that the way leading to destruction requires no effort on the part of those travelling that path? Do you find it strange that it is easy to transit the path that leads to destruction? By the same token, does it seem strange that the way leading to life is arduous, demanding? Jesus cautions that the easy way is the popular way, but that way leads to destruction. Turning aside from this path leading to eternal devastation requires determination, whereas the path leading to life demands deliberate effort just to begin the journey. The former path requires no forethought. The latter path demands that you make a deliberate decision to even begin the journey.
The same Jesus who spoke of two ways by which we may walk through this life narrowly defined the way to true life when He taught His disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” [JOHN 14:6].
Though modern Christendom professes to honour the Son of God, if we look at the lifestyles of the mass of professing Christians, would an outsider conclude that we believe what we profess? Even in what should be mundane, routine aspects of life, is it apparent that Christians believe the message of life? It is one thing to say that we are grateful for God’s goodness, but do we witness people praying with gratitude before they receive a meal or upon arising refreshed from a good night’s sleep?
What about those Scriptures that urge us to be considerate of one another? Paul was horrified at Christians who would take one another before the courts. He wrote, “To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers” [1 CORINTHIANS 6:7-8]!
Then, we read the admonitions delivered to Titus as Paul instructs him what to teach. Paul wrote, “Remind [Christians] to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” [TITUS 3:1-2]. It becomes obvious that the statement is far easier than is the application for us who claim to follow the Lord. Submissive to rulers and authorities? That is difficult, perhaps even impossible for some of us. Speaking evil of no one? People just don’t know how mean she is! Avoiding a quarrel? He starts those quarrels! Being gentle? I was upset and couldn’t help myself. Showing perfect courtesy toward others? I can’t be civil when I don’t like them. I don’t care if she is a fellow church member, she is a pain in the neck!
The thing about this list is that when we excuse our actions, we demonstrate that we have no regard for the Saviour. Then, we have those Scriptures that teach us our responsibility before the Lord and toward one another. Scriptures such as this: “Be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret” [EPHESIANS 5:1-12].
This list is echoed as Paul wrote the congregation in Colossae. There, he wrote, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” [COLOSSIANS 3:5-17].
Stay with me; I’m going to take you on a journey exploring the response of the world to us as followers of Christ. Those identified as living for this dying world are dismayed by us when they witness our lives. Peter instructs the followers of Christ, “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” [1 PETER 2:11-12].
Does this admonition strike you as strange? In the world in which Paul and Peter ministered, homosexuality was quite common. Nero entered into a same-sex marriage. Other Emperors openly practised prostitution and promoted themselves as transgenders. Promiscuity was common among Roman men. When our culture argues that Christian morals are repressive while the people of this world are progressive, they demonstrate an ignorance of history.
Because the early saints held to a theology that refused to concede to the desires of the flesh, they were castigated by those of the Roman world. The Romans and the Greeks had gods that lived atop mountains or in temples that their worshippers built for them. Christians, however, worshipped a God who took up residence in their bodies. Paul would teach the followers of Christ, “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” [1 CORINTHIANS 6:18-20].
Focus on the nineteenth verse: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” In opposition to the view of the prevailing society in which Christians lived, the Apostles were teaching that God lived in flesh. The Living God, the Risen Saviour, took up residence in a body like those whom He redeemed. Therefore, the Christian who understood this could not casually enter into a sexual relationship outside of marriage, the union of one man with one woman, just as God instituted in the Garden of Eden. Rather than repressive, this Christian ideal was an application of the theology given by God.
The Living God claims the body of those whom He redeems. When we are born from above, the presence of God’s Spirit represents a change of ownership. Our bodies are no longer ours, so we are no longer able to do as we please with our bodies. Jesus paid for our bodies by sacrificing His body in our place. Here is what is exciting. Because our body is God’s dwelling place, and He owns it through the purchase of His Son, the Lord shows the world something of His purity and love through our flesh. This is the heart of Christian ethics and morality! We live holy lives because God has made us His own. Now we live to glorify Him, not to please ourselves.
Neither Roman culture nor the present culture recognizes the Christian morality that is contrary to that commonly accepted in society. Newly converted Christians are at odds with the world. They may well experience the disapproval of the world, and the world may react with anger toward them. They may be called narrow-minded and in the ancient world they were even called atheists because they would not agree to the multiplicity of gods the world had created. They may be hated, even hated by their own families in some instances. Christians might even be murdered by people who excused their actions as sparing society from these strange views held by the Christians.
Listen to Jesus as He teaches the impact of a holy life when displayed before the eyes of the watching world. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you” [JOHN 15:18-16:4a].
If Jesus was only a good man, no one would despise Him. No one would reject Jesus if He was simply another great teacher. We esteem those whom we acknowledge as great teachers, though they are mostly forgotten within a generation or two of their death. Frankly, if Jesus qualified as a good man, however that may be defined, or if He was a great teacher, no one would be particularly concerned. However, when He presents Himself as the Son of God, He demands that we respond by acknowledging Him as very God in human flesh. And that is offensive to the core of our fallen being.
If Jesus of Nazareth is very God, then we must give Him an accounting for why we reject Him as the rightful ruler of our life. Therefore, people despise the Son of God. To confess that He has the right to reign over our life means that we cannot lay claim to our own destiny. If Jesus is God, then we must confess, “My times are in His hands!” And if He is God, I have no claim over my own life.
MAN OF SORROWS — When I read that Messiah was a “man of sorrows,” I can’t help but wonder what the Word of God intends to convey. Jesus appears to have barely contained His laughter. He gives the clear impression that He was able to communicate humorous imagery. For instance, we cannot read His censure of the Pharisees when He said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel” [MATTHEW 23:23-24]!
The image of these religious leaders carefully dragging the fringe of their tallit through their soup because they saw a gnat doing the backstroke is ridiculous. After all, one can’t be too careful about what sort of meat may be eaten. Were gnats kosher? Then, those same pious leaders would swallow a camel—knobby knees, humps and all. “Will that be one hump or two?”
Unlike so many identified with modern “cancel culture,” Jesus laughed. And it was a healthy laughter! For all His laughter, He is described as a “man of sorrows.” What would cause the Son of God to experience grief? What would be the basis for the sorrow Jesus felt? I find several instances in the Gospel accounts that speak of Jesus’ grief. For instance, the Son of God was grieved when He encountered the hardened hearts of those who presented themselves as religious leaders. Hardened hearts caused Jesus to experience grief. When professed Christians demonstrate a lack of concern for the mass of hurting humanity, Jesus grieves!
Here is an example of what I mean. Peter provided the background and Mark wrote the account. “[Jesus] entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Come here.’ And he said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored” [MARK 3:1-5].
Another instance when we read of Jesus’ sorrow occurred while He was preparing for His Passion. The Saviour had taken His disciples with Him, asking them to wait while He prayed. Again, Mark tells the story. “[Jesus and His disciples] went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch’” [MARK 14:32-34]. So, we see that the sin of the world pressed down on the Saviour, causing Him great sorrow. The plight of sinners causes the Saviour to experience sorrow.
We read of another instance when Jesus expressed His sorrow. Large crowds were rejoicing as He was coming to the city. The people were exuberant, ecstatic, euphoric. Many of those gathered no doubt imagined that He would deliver them from Roman occupation; others were rejoicing because they were rejoicing. The Pharisees were incensed at the accolades Jesus was receiving, necessitating a gentle rebuke from the Master.
Approaching Jerusalem, Jesus began His descent from the Mount of Olives. Doctor Luke writes, “When [Jesus] drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation’” [LUKE 19:41-44]. The pain that sin brings caused Jesus to weep. No doubt knowing the pain sinners would experience still causes the Saviour to weep for them.
There is another instance when Jesus wept. You know the passage that is recorded in John’s Gospel; it is a pericope that teaches us that the Saviour weeps when His people experience their own sorrows. Jesus had just arrived after Mary and Martha had urged Him to hurry since their brother was dying. When they were told that Jesus had come, Mary rushed out of the house to run to Jesus in order to pour out her sorrow. The grieving woman sobbed out her heartache, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” [JOHN 11:32].
Take note of what follows. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept” [JOHN 11:33-35]. Jesus was moved with sorrow as He felt the pain Mary was experiencing at that moment. Jesus grieved at the knowledge of a ruined creation, and at the pain brought about by a fallen world.
Death was never to enter into the world, and yet death now sullies the joy and intimacy intended for the people whom God created. We read in the Word, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” [ROMANS 5:12]. And the grief that is felt in the wake of death is not ours to bear alone. Our Saviour experiences the grief we feel as He stands with His child.
It is important to realise that the grief His people experience causes the Master to grieve as He comforts us. When I cry in my sorrow, I do not weep alone. Jesus weeps with me. When I grieve so deeply that it feels as if I shall never again experience joy, I do not grieve alone. Jesus grieves with me. The Psalmist expresses this knowledge when he writes,
“You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?”
[PSALM 56:8]
The Lord shares my sorrow. The Lord feels my pain. He has never deserted His child.
When I read that Jesus is a “man of sorrows,” I understand that He shares my grief, He experiences my pain, He knows the confusion of my heart. I know that He has never left me to figure matters out on my own. Rather, He stands with me in every trial and comforts me in every storm. I am confident in His promise, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” [HEBREWS 13:5b]. And I am certain that He knows the way that I take [see JOB 23:10].
NO ESTEEM FOR THE SON OF GOD — There was scant respect for the Son of God in that day when He came to earth so many centuries past. Nor should anyone imagine that there is great respect for Him in this day. When people say they believe Jesus was a “great teacher,” while refusing to accept Him for the Son of God as He claimed, they reveal that they have no esteem for Him as the Son of God. When some voice their belief that Jesus was a “good man,” though they are unwilling to accept Him as very God, they demonstrate that they have no esteem for the Son of God.
I am often amused to see the manner in which the religious elite approached the Master during the days of His flesh. Of course, there were the honest seekers who wanted to understand the message He delivered. One need but think of Nicodemus who came to Jesus one night. Perhaps we could condemn Nicodemus because he sought to keep his meeting a clandestine affair, but he was genuine in wanting to know what Jesus was teaching. So, the learned man approached Jesus saying, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” [JOHN 3:2]. Subsequent events demonstrate that Nicodemus was an honest seeker of the truth.
Or one could recall Zacchaeus. You will remember that he was a tax collector who had grown wealthy through less than honourable actions against his own people. This man had heard of Jesus, and hearing that Jesus was nearby, this tax collector wanted to see the prophet who was creating such a buzz throughout the countryside. Others in the crowd that day couldn’t have been pleased to see Zacchaeus making his way through the crowd and trying to work his way toward the front.
We picture this man as determined to even catch a glimpse of Jesus. He was a little late to the appearance, and he no doubt tried to push through the crowd. He was a tax collector, however. One can almost see the people when they realize who is trying to push past them—one elbows him in the face; another steps on his toes; still others vigorously push him back. At last, the little man, desperate to see this prophet from Galilee, shinnied up a sycamore tree in hopes that he would get to see Jesus.
Wouldn’t you know it! Jesus just “happened” to walk under that tree. And when the Master was directly under the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today” [LUKE 19:5b]. We can almost see that despised tax collector slide down the trunk, perhaps skinning his thighs as the rough bark rubbed away the skin. Nevertheless, he did invite the Saviour to come to his house, and when Jesus had dined, the man whom the entire region detested stood and confessed, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold” [LUKE 19:8]. When salvation touches the purse, it is real.
Against a few such as Nicodemus and Zacchaeus, there are many others who made no attempt to show respect for the Son of God. Recall just a few instances of religious leaders who spoke with syrupy condescension, while harbouring despite toward the Son of God. Here is one example, and it doesn’t appear to be exceptional. “One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.’ And Jesus answering said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ And he answered, ‘Say it, Teacher.’
“‘A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.’ And he said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.’ And he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this, who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace’” [LUKE 7:36-50].
Imagine! Simon, a Pharisee of some repute, invited Jesus to dine at his house. When Jesus entered the house, Simon didn’t greet Jesus with a kiss. That was the custom in that day. This was sheer rudeness! The host offered no water to wash the Master’s feet, a grievous faux pas in that culture. He failed to anoint Jesus’ head with oil, which would have been expected of the host when welcoming a guest into the home. In other words, Simon wasn’t simply a neglectful host, he was deliberate in treating Jesus with disdain. Simon was demonstrating His own importance, using Jesus for his own ends. Moreover, when the woman crept up behind the Saviour and anointed his feet with oil, Simon began to exalt himself in his mind by attempting to dismiss Jesus as the man of God He was. Arrogance doesn’t begin to describe what we witness.
In another similar incident, Jesus was invited to dine at the house of a leader among the Pharisees. Here is the account as Luke recorded the incident. “One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?’ But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. And he said to them, ‘Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?’ And they could not reply to these things” [LUKE 14:1-6].
Mark gives us some insight into Jesus’ attitude during this particular incident. Listen carefully and see if you catch the difference that Peter communicated to Mark. “[Jesus] entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Come here.’ And he said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him” [MARK 3:1-6].
The haughty attitude, the petty condemnation that marked these Pharisees, angered Jesus. Clearly this was a point at which they and their cohorts began to seek partnership with anyone who would join them in destroying this upstart from Nazareth. The Pharisees, together with their lawyers and the Herodians, formed a “Never Jesus” movement.
Allow me to provide one further instance of hypocrisy among the religious leaders as they interacted with the Son of God. Here is the way Matthew describes what was taking place. “The Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then he said to them, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away” [MATTHEW 22:15-22].
Such hypocrisy! What a sham! “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.” It was all a lie. They weren’t admitting that they believed Jesus spoke truly or that what He was teaching was the will of God! Their words were a mockery of the Master—sheer, hypocritical flattery meant to disarm the Master while permitting them to gain an advantage over Him. To be sure, Jesus didn’t care about their feelings—He was the God of Truth! These hypocrites were absolutely assured that Jesus didn’t care about their feelings, and they hated Him for that. However, they hated Him even more because He wouldn’t acknowledge them as important men, as powerful men, as godly leaders. Jesus failed to puff their egos and His refusal left them enraged.
And what of you? Are you attempting to flatter the Risen Saviour? Are your prayers mere show designed to signal how pious you are? Or do you come before the Son of God with humility of heart as you seek His glory? If your purpose is to honour the Son of God as you present your requests, it will be obvious. If your purpose is to make yourself look good to any onlookers who happen to witness your show, that will also be apparent. If your purpose in participating in the life of the assembly is to promote yourself, know that you are a sham. Know that others recognize your perfidy, even though you may imagine you are doing something of importance.
I briefly pastored a congregation that was cursed with a few individuals who believed their job was to make themselves important while keeping the hoi polloi in check. The one man who headed this fiasco even gave himself the name, “Chairman of the Church.” And he was quick to let me know that he was important, and I was hired to do what the cabal he headed decided must be done. “Let me tell you,” he blustered one day, “there are three people who make things happen in this church. If we want it, we get it. If we don’t want it, it ain’t gonna’ happen.” It likely won’t surprise you to learn that that congregation no longer exists, and those self-important people were all removed from service. God does not tolerate such arrogance forever. In His time and according to His will, such self-important people will cease to run roughshod over the people of God.
But what of us? How do we approach the worship of the Living God? While God is perfect, we can never offer perfect worship in our own effort. What we offer is perfected as the Spirit of Christ works in our hearts and purifies our offering. We sing the hymns of Zion, and we do so imperfectly. Nevertheless, if our purpose is to magnify the Name of the Lord, the Spirit of God exalts Him in our midst. Truly, when the people of God lift their praises to Him, He is enthroned on their praises [see PSALM 22:3]. Though we may be entertained by a competent performance, we are inspired and our hearts are encouraged when a child of the King sings praises from the heart.
Do we come to the House of the Lord to worship the Risen Son of God? Or do we come to see a performance? Is our purpose to be entertained? Or do we seek to honour the Saviour who redeems us? Do you long to come together in such unity of heart that outsiders entering into the service are convicted by the Spirit of God? Do you long to see the day when the experience Paul describes becomes a reality for us? Remember how the Apostle has written, “If all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you” [1 CORINTHIANS 14:24-25]. This is my desire. This is what I long to witness each time we meet together. May God do this, and soon.
I am not opposed to presenting the best effort possible to make the worship of God meaningful and pleasant. However, I know from Scripture and from the Spirit who dwells among us, that worship that is true worship will never come about when the focus is on what we present even as we exclude focusing on the Risen Saviour. Let us determine that we witness His beauty in the salvation He offers and in the grace He sheds abroad in our hearts. Let us worship God in Spirit and in Truth, seeking His glory in all things. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
