“Everything they do is done for men to see. … They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogue; they love to be greeted in the marketplace and [called] Rabbi.”
Matthew 23:5-7
Under Christ’s headship in the church, leaders are accountable to shepherd others with love and integrity. Isaiah 65:2 says that Israel’s shepherd-leaders were “pursuing their own imaginations.” When spiritual leaders keep Christ at the center, the body is blessed. But when the church’s image and appeal have priority, the body suffers for it. In the pews every Sunday sit many struggling believers enduring a wider variety of hardships than could ever be listed. The polished image of the church matters precious little then to the aching soul.
Leaders who bow to image set an example that fuels pride in the comfortable. The burdened believer begins to feel inadequate and defeated, unable to measure up to a shining image that is out of reach. When leaders seek after God’s own heart, the congregation sees their servanthood as well as their common spiritual status: another sinner saved by grace through the blood of Jesus.
Seeking man’s approval leads us away from pleasing God, for He “opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Leaders who bow to image set an example that fuels pride in the comfortable. The burdened believer begins to feel inadequate and defeated, unable to measure up to a shining image that is out of reach. When leaders seek after God’s own heart, the congregation sees their servanthood as well as their common spiritual status: another sinner saved by grace through the blood of Jesus.
Seeking man’s approval leads us away from pleasing God, for He “opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Scripture Focus
Matthew 23:5-12
Insight
“[Jesus] humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place.” (Philippians 2:8-9)
Bible In A Year
- Isaiah 9-10
- John 17
- Psalm 76