"Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished more severely." Mark 12:38-40 NIV
Jesus seemed to save his most condemning words not for the harlots or tax collectors, but for a group of people collectively called the "teachers of the law" this included the Pharisees and the religious leaders of the Jewish people. In looking at what he condemned them for, I have broken this down into three main areas
The first issue is pride- it seemed they really wanted to be first. They wanted to have a place of honor at the ceremonies of their day. From what I have seen, many religious leaders are still like this. They want to be acknowledged at conferences or in their associations or parishes as being important. The Bible warns repeatedly that this kind of pride is one of the worst of all possible sins. (See Proverbs 8:13, 11:13 and 16:18)
I was talking with a client today about some past pains and issues that she has. She commented that she did not want to make the same mistakes again. While it is noble not to want to make mistakes, I commented to her that I noticed no nail scars in her hands. Since that is not the case and she is not perfect, she will continue to make mistakes. It is part of being human to sometimes do and say stupid things. We all make mistakes. A prideful person has a difficult times saying things like "I am sorry" or "I was wrong". Or seeing that they may not be quite a bright or smart as they think they are. I told my client that the important thing is not to try and not make any mistakes ever again, but being willing to admit when you do. Being willing to ask for forgiveness. Being willing to say "That was stupid of me, I am sorry." It takes some humility to say you were wrong. A prideful person has a tough time doing that.
The second thing that I see in this passage is greed. Jesus told us that we are to seek the kingdom and His righteousness first and then all these things will be added to you. But, many people, many religious leaders even, get hung up on reaping material things. Jesus tells a story of a man in Luke 12 who was rich. He wanted to tear down the barns that he had to build larger ones, so he could save what he had and enjoy it. But, that very night, in the middle of all his plans, his life was required of him. Jesus warns us "Be on your guard against greed, a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Unfortunately, we cannot take any of it with us.
The third thing is self-righteousness. The Pharisees saw themselves at having arrived and being teachers who did not themselves need to be taught. Jesus told them that he did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Those who are a part of God's kingdom all have this in common, faith in God to save them. In order to have faith in God to save them, you must first realize you are lost. If you don't ever acknowledge your need or have an attitude of self-sufficiency then you will never arrive at a place where you will look up and realize that your redemption is not something you can manufacture yourself. It is a gift of grace from God and not something you deserve.
