October 24
John12:37-50; Mark 11:12-14; Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:15-19; Matthew 21:12-17; Luke 19:45-48; Mark 11:20-33; Matthew 21:23-27; Luke 20:1-8
What do people think of me? We have probably asked ourselves that at some point in our lives. The Gospels introduce us to two groups of people who are paralyzed by the opinions of others. John 12 describes some of the Pharisees have come to believe in Jesus but "they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue" (John 12:42). They believed in Jesus but also believed that retaining their position in the synagogue was more important than open acknowledgment. Then we have a different group of Pharisees in Mark 11, Matthew 21, and Luke 20 who refuse to answer Jesus' question about John's baptism because they "feared the people." Their fear of what others would think kept both groups from experiencing the fullness of life in Jesus. They failed to embrace Jesus fully and publicly and missed out on all that God had for them.
If we live trapped by a fear of others, then we will find ourselves in a similar place. We will miss out on intimacy with God and will fail to offer others the life that is only available in Christ. So let us choose to live to please God rather than people and openly declare ourselves a follower of him.
Father God, help me to be more concerned about pleasing you than others. Help me to courageously obey you regardless of what the world might think. Amen.
Where in life does a concern about the opinions of others keep you from fully obeying Christ?
What do people think of me? We have probably asked ourselves that at some point in our lives. The Gospels introduce us to two groups of people who are paralyzed by the opinions of others. John 12 describes some of the Pharisees have come to believe in Jesus but "they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue" (John 12:42). They believed in Jesus but also believed that retaining their position in the synagogue was more important than open acknowledgment. Then we have a different group of Pharisees in Mark 11, Matthew 21, and Luke 20 who refuse to answer Jesus' question about John's baptism because they "feared the people." Their fear of what others would think kept both groups from experiencing the fullness of life in Jesus. They failed to embrace Jesus fully and publicly and missed out on all that God had for them.
If we live trapped by a fear of others, then we will find ourselves in a similar place. We will miss out on intimacy with God and will fail to offer others the life that is only available in Christ. So let us choose to live to please God rather than people and openly declare ourselves a follower of him.
Father God, help me to be more concerned about pleasing you than others. Help me to courageously obey you regardless of what the world might think. Amen.
Where in life does a concern about the opinions of others keep you from fully obeying Christ?
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