True Power

And the devil took [Jesus] up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

             “‘You shall worship the Lord your God,

                        and him only shall you serve.’” Luke 4:5-8

            The temptation of power. Humans crave it. It was the root of the original sin. Satan tempted Eve with the prospect of “becoming like God” (see Genesis 3:5).  Power is addicting. When our goal is to become powerful, our power becomes the object of our worship – our focus, our primary agenda, our priority, and the consumption of our resources, energy, and time. 

            Jesus cut through the image of Satan’s words and went to the heart. Worship and serve God alone. Our greatest calling, our embodiment of God’s image-in-us, is not how great we become, but how well we serve. To follow Christ is not to aspire to greatness, but to be compelled to service. Jesus told his followers,

“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:42-45

Seeking earthly power is the exact opposite of the attitude of Christ. Beware of seeking earthly power, for it is not far from the enemy’s domain. 

Let’s Do Something About It

·      Prayerfully consider if there is an area of your life where you are demanding authority over others. Ask God to show you how you might turn that area of your life around to being a place of serving others instead.

·      Meditate on Philippians 2:4-11. Consider journaling any insights or questions you may have.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who,

      though he was in the form of God,

did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

      but made himself nothing,

      taking the form of a servant,

      being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form,

      he humbled himself

      by becoming obedient to the point of death,

      even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him

      and bestowed on him the name

      that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

      every knee should bow,

      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

 and every tongue confess

       that Jesus Christ is Lord,

      to the glory of God the Father. 

Simeon: Heart's Revealed

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:34-35

It is easy to fall into the trap of tradition, ritual, and stirring rhetoric. We can become complacent in our worship or excited and motivated over some new teaching – but both can cause our worship to become false. Jesus’ has come to reveal the true intentions, attitudes, and condition of our hearts and thoughts. God is not fooled by our outward actions. In 1Samuel 16:7, God told Samuel, “The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1Samuel 16:7

When the religious leaders of the time condemned Jesus’ followers for not following tradition, J

Jesus called them hypocrites,

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

 ‘These people honor me with their lips,

 but their hearts are far from me.  

Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.” Mark 7:6-8

Today, as representatives of Christ on earth, let’s open our hearts and minds to Christ’s examination and make sure we are truly honoring Him with our words, our attitudes, and our actions.

Lets Do Something About It:

·      Slowly and meditatively read the following passage from Psalm 139.

·      Reflect on the words, and then allow some time to listen for and absorb God’s response to you.

·      Journal or record your insights.

·      Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you into true humility before the Lord.

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely…

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalms 139:1-4,23-24