And [Jesus] said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15, NASB)
The most famous pretender of our time was Frank Abagnale, he of Catch Me If You Can fame. When only a high school student, Abagnale began a series of elaborate schemes, including forgeries and posed identities. Though he gave law enforcement authorities the slip numerous times, his infamy eventually caught up with him, and Abagnale was apprehended to serve prison terms in France, Sweden, and the United States.
After four years in federal prison in Virginia, Abagnale was approached by the FBI. Would he, without pay, help the government find frauds and scammers in exchange for his own freedom? Abagnale agreed. The captured became the converted.
So much of life really is a popularity contest. If nothing else, we hope other golfers think of us as better players than we really are!It’s easy to criticize pretenders like Frank Abagnale. In fact, we often do it when reading the Gospels. There we find the religious leaders. And there we find Jesus exposing them.
The errors of the scribes, Pharisees, teachers of the law, and chief priests (all of these are listed among the leaders at various times) were obvious, but only if you knew how to look at them. Many, many people were fooled.
You likely recall the words of the Lord to the prophet Samuel when he saw the impressive lineup of the sons of Jesse. Samuel had come to anoint one of them as the next king of Judah. Eying them as a group, Samuel was wowed. Any of them would do. Except Samuel was evaluating them through a man’s lens. In that moment God told the prophet, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV). When David—the youngest and least physically impressive of Jesse’s sons—finally appeared, the Lord confirmed this truth by having Samuel anoint him.
Now the same Lord had come in flesh. Jesus. And he was entirely unimpressed with the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Sure, they washed their hands and wore their phylacteries and knew every line item in the law. But their hearts were full of pride—and, we soon discover, murder.
Today’s passage is one of many we could have chosen where Jesus exposed the pretense of the leaders. But we cannot let it be a teaching set only in history. Rather, we must remind ourselves how God views us. Like the Pharisees, we may be pleased when people see us as we want them to. We too “like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces” (Luke 20:46). In a worldly sense, so much of life really is a popularity contest. If nothing else, we hope other golfers think of us as better players than we really are!
But one day this jig we call the dance of life will be up. And if all you have been is a deft pretender, every façade behind which you have disguised your true self will be removed. God, who already sees us as we are, will show you that all your hiding was a wasted farce. That’s why there’s no good reason to wait another day to step into God’s light. It’s an exposure that will change your eternal life.
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Jeff Hopper
October 22, 2018
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.