Hey everybody! Thank you for joining me in daily Bible reading as we seek to glorify Jesus, know Him more, and interpret the truth of His Word.
If this is your first time going through the Bible, I am incredibly excited to have you here. If this is your 5000th time, I am humbled that you are here and hope you grow in your relationship with Jesus along with me. May we all seek to know Him more and apply what we learn to further our mission of spreading the gospel. If you missed a day and want to catch up, visit the archives page HERE! But there is no shame if you start today! Day 255, Matthew 23:11-12 — Jesus Exposes the Pharisees Matthew 23:11-12 (NASB1995) “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” Context Matthew has been recording Jesus’ debate with the religious leaders since arriving in Jerusalem, which roused them into questioning His authority. Throughout the discussion, Jesus teaches multiple parables to show the Sadducees their error. He then gets into lengthy debates with them about taxes, marriage, and other topics, which silences them in their hypocrisy and unbelief. Review Yesterday, we read Jesus’ warning to the twelve about following men instead of God. Jesus warns His disciples against calling other men ‘rabbi’, ‘father’, or ‘leader.’ This is for two reasons: because the religious leaders used each term to boastfully assert their spiritual authority over others and using such terms elevated and praised men to a status meant solely for God. This does not mean that one should forbid the use of titles, but that such titles can drive one to become prideful and arrogant with their newfound status. The title ‘rabbi’ would distort the family relationship God intends for His people by elevating one over another. Instead, Jesus teaches His followers to remain humble and serve each other in self-sacrificial love. This concept of humbly serving one another instead of seeking titles and status for personal acclaim contrasts how the Pharisees lived, which is exactly His point. To refuse these titles based on being brothers and sisters is a radical Christian adaptation of a Jewish understanding of membership in the community of God’s people. While Jesus is not against the idea of spiritual leaders in the church, He is against self-centered boasting that puts man on a spiritual pedestal delegated solely for God. Only God should receive such superior respect, as all other Christians are humble peers. Discussion Today, Jesus speaks about the necessity of humility. These verses follow Jesus’ three warnings we read about yesterday. He wants His disciples to focus on serving one another instead of pursuing the acclaim of titles like the Pharisees. Jesus says, “11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” Notably, this is not a new concept. Jesus previously spoke about the need for His followers to focus on serving others rather than climbing the ladder of man-centered spirituality (Mt. 19:30; 20:16, 25-28). This concept of humbling oneself in the service of one another is exactly what God seeks from His people, contrasting the Pharisees’ self-glorifying pursuit of worldly status. Jesus adds, “12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” This statement references Proverbs 25:6-7 regarding seating at banquets.[1] It says, “6 Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; 7 For it is better that it be said to you, ‘Come up here,’ Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.” According to the proverb, those who choose to sit next to the king will face humiliation when he moves them to a lower position at the table. Instead, one should seek a lower place so that the king can move them to a more honorable place. It also adds to the reality that God seeks equality among His people (Is. 2:11-12; 5:15), contrasting the self-glorifying lifestyle the Pharisees practiced.[2] The way of God’s kingdom works opposite to the world, as those who seek no acclaim, titles, honor, or respect among men will find exaltation in it. Conversely, those who seek such man-centered praise will find themselves humbled on the day of judgment as God strips them of all their worthless, temporal successes on earth. One cannot take such earthly rewards with them to heaven and one does not gain status in the kingdom of God from them. Instead, it is those who humble themselves into the service of others in genuine self-sacrificial love who will find heavenly rewards. The point is that God exalts and humbles. Thus, any attempt for self-exaltation will crumble in the presence of God, as He has the final say. Therefore, one must remain destitute of any form of boasting and humble lower themselves in the service of others. As Peter reiterates in 1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.” Application Beyond loving God, genuine humility is the most important thing a person can have. In having such humility, a person can then exude their love for God to others as they serve them in whatever way they can. Jesus just spoke about the two greatest commandments, and without genuine God-fearing humility, one cannot practice them—loving God and loving others. This humility comes from the Spirit of God and transforms us to become more lowly as we seek to do God’s will. It submits to God in all things as we surrender to Him our pride and desires. Therefore, there is no boasting in anyone but God, as He empowers us to simply love more. Avoiding the acclaim of men and status can be difficult, especially in the American culture that prides itself on personal growth and success. It is also not a bad thing to pursue success. However, we cannot allow our pursuit of success to blind ourselves to the reverence and awe of loving and serving God as He deserves. We must never put ourselves on a pedestal. When we do find ourselves becoming praised among men, we must heed the Spirit’s call to humble ourselves. We must take no self-glory in our successes and instead sacrifice them to God. In doing so, the LORD will reward us and uplift us in His kingdom. However, I believe this exaltation does not look like what we may imagine. I imagine the LORD rewarding us with eternal life and a crowd, yet we again humble ourselves even at that moment and bow before Him, sacrificing that crowd to Him as well. I believe this is the posture of humility God seeks—a complete surrender of all self-glory, as all glory is reserved for God alone. May we praise, worship, honor, and glorify Jesus every day in all that we do while continually pursuing righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness as He forgave us. Looking Ahead Thank you for joining today’s daily Bible reading! Next, we read Matthew 23:13-15. I hope you join me! I have made commenting available, so please feel free to discuss the reading and ask questions. If you do not want to discuss publicly, you can reach out to me privately. We are on this journey together. References [1] Craig Keener, “IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition.” [2] Ibid.
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