“Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.” Luke 20:46
Jesus gave out a warning of a group of people. These people would look very good and even sound very good, but were much different on the inside. They were the teachers of the law. These were the important, high level religious people of the temple in those days. The teachers of the law were being accused by Jesus of trying to make a great big show of themselves.
People can still be like that today. There are some people who will dress up in very nice suits or dresses when they go to church. While in a church service, these people will pray very beautiful and long prayers. They may even sit towards the front of the church.
Yet, at their home, they never pray or read the Bible and are doing very sinful things. They are rude to their family. They look down upon any person who is not “looking good” to them in the public places. They refuse to help those in need.
This type of people are doing things just for a show. They want to look good. They want to appear to be great Christian men and women. Yet, they are living a lie.
Jesus says to watch out for those people. They may speak a good word in the church service or Sunday School classroom, but their lives are not matching. Do not allow yourself to be deceived by them.
Along with not being deceived by them, you must also not be one of them. Why do you do the things that you do? Is it for a show? Are you doing things to look good to other people?
Everything you do must be done to bring God glory and praise. It must not be done to bring yourself praise. Live the life that Jesus did, because that is who God has made you. Don’t do it just to look like Jesus, to look good. Don’t look for the praise of the people. Remember, God looks at the heart, not just the outward actions.
I pray today that God will reveal your heart to you; that God will give you strength to change where needed; that you will not do things for a show; that you will not be deceived by others; and that God will use you to build His kingdom.
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