The Most Important Thing
Jesus went on to say that when we make ourselves out to be the most important person, God will humble us.
The Most Important Thing
What if I told you that there is something in you that God values above all else? It is a character trait that we all have, to some degree or another, but not all of us have learned to develop it. I’m talking about love.
Love is the most important quality of the Christian. We know this because the Bible tells us that it is so. In fact, love is more important than even faith or hope.
1 Corinthians 13:13
“But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
When Jesus was walking on the earth and teaching others. One of the things He really despised was the religious class of leaders. He condemned them by calling them hypocrites and liars, even though they were obeying the laws and doing religious things. They believed in God, they went to church (so to speak), they prayed, they fasted, they donated money ... but they did not love others. So, all of their efforts were wasted. They were just empty gestures.
In Matthew 23, Jesus called these types of leaders “blind guides” and “white-washed tombs.” He described them as being dead on the inside while on the outside they gave the appearance of being healthy and alive. He described them as being like a cup that looked all clean and shiny but who’s inside was full of filth. Look at these stinging words from Jesus:
Matthew 23:4-7
“They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men ... They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi.”
Jesus went on to say that when we make ourselves out to be the most important person, God will humble us. Our lack of love for others exposes us as hollow and empty - even when we do all the right stuff. It wasn’t faith or commitment that these people lacked. They had plenty of both. It was a love for others that they needed. They loved themselves and their titles more than God and His people.
God wants us to love others above all else. When we do that, we will have hearts that He can mold and shape into whatever He wants us to be. That is the goal of following Jesus. Without love, we are just empty vessels.
