What is the purpose of a warning? A warning is something said or written to tell people of a possible danger, problem, or other unpleasant thing that might happen. However, warnings cannot be effective unless people react to them. Today we are surrounded by warnings concerning the coronavirus. These warnings are being carefully listened to and heeded because everyone is aware that the threat is real.
Jesus gave a warning during His last days on earth. I have been slowly making my way through the book of Mark, meditating on and writing about the truths that I see. When I got to the warning Jesus gave about the scribes, my first inclination was to skip over it: after all, it was only three verses. Suddenly, I realized what I was doing! I was ignoring a warning. To ignore a warning is a dangerous thing to do, especially if that warning was given by Jesus.
“And in his teaching he said, 'Beware of the scribes,who like to walk around in long robes and receive greetings in the marketplaces'” (Mark 12:38). Who were the scribes? They were the experts in handling written documents. In Israel, the scribe's duties included teaching, interpreting, and regulating the law. Because of their relationship with the word of God, they were held in high esteem. But now Jesus was teaching with great authority, and large crowds were listening to Him with delight. When Jesus exposed the heart of the scribes, they responded by trying to destroy Him.
However, I don’t believe that this warning was only intended for that Passover week when the scribes were actively seeking to arrest Jesus. I’ve had a hard time writing this devotional, because after I decided not to skip this warning I’ve been taking inventory of my own heart. I love to study and teach God’s word. Every day I check to see how many people have read what I’ve written. I like to be recognized as a Bible teacher. When I pray in public I’m often tempted to lengthen my prayers by adding something I’ve read in the scriptures or have been meditating on.
Jesus gave this warning in “His teaching” to His followers just days before He humbled Himself and went to the cross. This teaching came in the form of a warning against the pride of the scribes. A contrast to the pride of the scribes is found in Philippians 2:1-8: “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any sharing in Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.
In your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who being the very nature with God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--even death on a cross!”
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