The objective of this lesson: to deepen our understanding of Jesus' declaration that the Pharisees were hypocrites
A key element in understanding God's will for His people is found in the role of service. The man or woman who belongs to God is a servant. Jesus repeatedly stressed this in numerous situations. Consider some examples.
The importance of serving others [in human to human service] is central to being God's people.
In Matthew 20:20-28 James and John's mother asked Jesus to enthrone her sons on his right and left hand in his kingdom. Jesus responded to her by saying, "You do not understand what you are asking," and to James and John by asking, "Can you drink the cup I soon will drink?"
It is assumed that James and John are seeking an advantage over the other ten disciples by having their mother request key positions [places] for them in the administration of Jesus' kingdom. Obviously, her request is based on their conviction that Jesus' kingdom will be like other kingdoms of that world and time. Seats at each immediate side of the king were places of honor that declared the significance of the person.
James and John, without understanding, assured Jesus they could drink the cup. The other ten disciples were indignant because James and John sought an advantage in receiving what each wanted. Jesus used the occasion to stress the spiritual priority of service.
For obvious reasons James and John's request would irritate the other ten disciples. All twelve coveted the same places of honor in Jesus' kingdom. To them, sitting next to the king "is the way things work" in their world if a person wanted status and honor.
He said to them, "My kingdom will be distinctly different to the kingdoms of this world. In this world rulers cherish their position and love to exercise their authority. In my kingdom importance is not determined by position or authority. In my kingdom greatness will be achieved through service. I, myself, am the example. I came to serve, not to control through position and authority. I came to be a ransom for many, not for many to serve me."
Jesus addressed James and John's request as well as the other ten disciples' frustration by explaining that his kingdom would be radically different from the kingdoms they knew. Service to others, not position, would determine greatness in his kingdom.
He had the same emphasis in Matthew 18:1-6 when the twelve asked him who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 23:11 he had the same emphasis in denouncing the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. He had the same emphasis when speaking to the guests of a Pharisee in Luke 14:7-11. He had the same emphasis when speaking to those who trusted in their own righteousness and held others in contempt (Luke 18:9-14). He had the same emphasis when the twelve were arguing about which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24-30). He had the same emphasis in speaking to an ashamed twelve after their private discussion of who was the greatest (Mark 9:33-37). This emphasis was the point of Jesus' washing the twelve's feet the last night of his earthly life (John 13:1-30).
Jesus' emphasis on service rendered as an expression of a humble existence was a fundamental theme in his ministry.
The common theme through all these incidents is humility. Humility and service are hand-holding companions. Arrogance and service are strangers. Service manifests another's importance. Arrogance declares my importance.
The type of service Jesus stressed and humility are inseparable. It is the exact opposite of arrogant, self-serving deeds.
God the Father was humble enough to send Jesus, His son, in order that God the Father might address failures that He did not produce. Jesus was humble enough to come and serve knowing it would cost him physical life. He or she who belongs to the humble God and the humble Christ must be an humble person. An humble person serves other people, just as does the humble God and humble Savior. It is impossible to be Jesus Christ's disciple when a person, man or woman, is too arrogant to serve other people.
God expects the people who belong to Him to reflect Him in the way they behave and the value system that controls their lives. A humble God cannot be reflected by the actions and attitudes of arrogant people.
It was the Pharisee's arrogance that led to the Pharisee's hypocrisy. They enjoyed recognition. They enjoyed superiority. They enjoyed calling attention to themselves. They enjoyed the benefits of position. The humble God cannot be represented by arrogant people. The immediate result of being in God's presence is humility [see Isaiah 6]. The Pharisees were horrible spiritual examples because they confused arrogance and humility. Their joys were rooted in arrogance, not humility.
The Pharisees were often self-serving in their priorities and joys. The things they valued reflected their arrogance, not humility. Their hypocrisy is seen in their efforts to champion God's priorities as their behaviors and attitudes failed to reflect God's concerns.
Please note Jesus did not censor the Pharisees for lacking knowledge of scripture. He censored them for allowing their knowledge of scripture to result in examples of arrogance. Carefully note the Pharisee's spiritual failures.
The problem is not seen in faulty knowledge, but in faulty understanding.
The purpose of spiritual deeds was to gain human attention.
A benefit of their religious position was places of honor.
Another benefit of their religious position was greetings of honor.
Stress these four things by allowing the students to comment on each of them.
They failed to understand that spiritual greatness is found in humbly serving others. Without nervousness, they cherished titles that belong to Jesus and God alone.
An arrogant person can justify rivaling God Himself for a desired title. According to God's values, the key to greatness is humble service, not arrogant posturing.
They made following God's will as demanding as possible for others. However, they did not live by the same demands they imposed on others.
Greatness is found in serving, not judging.
They called attention to themselves with their enlarged phylacteries [small boxes containing copies of some verses from scripture which were worn on some religious occasions--see Deuteronomy 6:4-9 which the Pharisees took literally] and tassels [see Matthew 9:20 and Numbers 15:38].
Greatness is found in attracting people to God, not to oneself.
They loved attention! They enjoyed honor! It did not concern them that people gave them honors that only should be given to God and His son. [It always has been difficult to trust the fact that God sees in secret (Matthew 6:4,6,18). It is hard to trust the fact that people do not have to see for God to notice!]
Those who belong to God had rather have one "well done, good and faithful servant" from God than many honors from people.
The highest calling a Christian has is to reflect God in his or her life (Matthew 5:16,43-48; 1 Peter 2:11,12; 1 Peter 3:13-16; 2 Corinthians 8:21; Philippians 2:15). The humility of God and Jesus Christ is not reflected in expressions of human arrogance. Serving God is about God, not us.
Stress that our highest calling from God is to reflect God in our lives each day.
Thought Questions:
It is found in the role of service.
The incident involved James and John's mother requesting the two priority positions in Jesus' kingdom be given to her sons. The problem created was the resentment of the other ten disciples.
The motive for service given to others is to be humility. One expresses his/her dedication to the good of others through service. Such service reflects the God who gave a son in sacrifice, and God's son who was willing to come be that sacrifice.
God did not seek to control us with His prestige ["Don't you know Who I am?"] but to save us with His sacrificial love. Jesus did not seek to Lord it over us with his prestige [read Philippians 2:5-8], but to serve us by becoming our ransom [read Matthew 20:28].
The role they assumed, their priorities, and their joys misrepresented God's priorities. Through seeing them, their values, and their joys, people misunderstood what God wants in human life.
(1) The purpose of knowledge is passing judgment on other people; (2) the purpose of spiritual deeds is to gain human attention; (3) a benefit of their position was places of honor; (4) another benefit of their position was greetings of honor.
The highest calling in Christian existence on this earth is to reflect God in who we are and the way we live on a daily basis.
Interaction Question:
The writer regards such to be an expression of arrogance. Arrogance is expressed by exalting the significance of self. When humility is used as means to exalt self, it becomes a means to advance personal significance. A self-declared humility [a false expression of humility] can express personal arrogance. Thus a seeming profession of humility can make humility a kidnap victim of arrogance.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 3