And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
So much of the craziness of the present day owes its origins to the “elites” of society. Francis Schaeffer, (in 1976!) wrote that the vacuum caused by the loss of Christian influence would be filled by elites. That has come true in the case of academic elites turning our children away from Christ and toward themselves. In Jesus’ day, the scribes were the elites. They could read and write which gave them influence in synagogue, politics, and law. Of course, this power corrupted, and as Lord Acton said, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Most certainly, they became rich as a result of bribery and other corruption while wearing the robes of honor. They played at religion if it propelled their political clout. Jesus had a warning for them.
It was not heeded by them or by the academic elites of today. The scribes actively participated in challenging Jesus in the temple in the last week of his earthly life. We can wonder what the “greater” condemnation could be but it is safe to say we do not want to experience it. That is the urgency for our society. The elites’ influence reaches into our colleges and is creeping into our elementary schools with a decidedly anti-Christian message. Our influence needs to be increased through prayer, love for the lost, and boldness to proclaim the Christmas message of hope to an increasingly hopeless generation. If we do not speak…
Someone else will.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church