38 As he taught, he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.’
Mark 12:38-40
Jesus has now started directing the conversation in Mark 12 after a series of teachings based on trick questions religious leaders have presented him. Yesterday Jesus pointed out that religious leaders do not always understand everything. We serve a God who works outside our boxes. We are often confronted with situations without clear answers for moving forward. Jesus, who was welcomed by the crowds on Palm Sunday as he might be the expected Messiah, was a descendant of David – his son, but was also called “Lord” by David in a psalm written before Jesus was even born. The Messiah would be human and divine! Today he warns them that not all religious leaders are pure in their intentions. Some of them like the glory of leadership but don’t really care about the people they are leading. We suspect that in politics and in corporations. Even hospitals send out surveys asking if we think they care about us. Hmmmm. I’m never sure if that is a measure of friendliness or true concern for me.
Jesus warns us, “Beware.” I think of the road signs I have seen while driving that tell me to beware. I was traveling in Scotland once and saw a sign, “Beware, sharp curves.” I went around the curve and there was another sign, “You have been warned!” We are warned about cow crossings, deer crossings, and children crossing. We are warned about bad weather. We are warned about economic trends through stock market reports daily. Our horoscope is even a form of prediction of possible danger.
So what do people in Florida do when there is a hurricane warning? We stock our shelves with nonperishable foods. We store containers of water. We gather cash in case electricity goes out and we buy candles. Many flee the state. We board up windows and we may even sleep over with a friend if we are widows or single. Some of these preparations are good advice to help us discern good religious leaders from bad. We store up Scripture so we don’t just blindly agree that all is said in a sermon. We underline or memorize favorite passages that are a comfort to our souls. We make playlists of encouraging songs on our devices. And we like to fellowship with friends and chat about the Sunday sermon or a current Bible study series. Perhaps another word for “beware” is to evaluate what we hear with our ears, see with our eyes, and touch with our hands. As my mother would say, “Not all is gold that glitters.” But as Jesus said, “beware.” Blessings on your spiritual journey.
On the Way to Wonder 