Cover Up

Text: Luke 20:41-47

Time to change places. The present chapter of Luke began by relating the encounters that occurred one day while Jesus was teaching in the Temple (v.1). It consists of a series of questions designed to entrap Jesus in the presence of the many who had begun to follow him. Consistently he turned the questions to the exposure of the interrogator. After no one dared to ask him any more (v.40), Jesus began with his own question.

At first it may seem odd that Jesus would challenge the Davidic descent of the Messiah; it is quite well established in the Hebrew Scriptures, and even pointed to in the birth narratives in the gospel accounts. I suspect that this was a veiled reference to his claim that God was his true Father, not someone from David's line. The larger point is that the teachers before him did not know the Scriptures as well as they might--quite a jolting statement, especially after the embarrassment they had already endure.

This point itself, however, may have been made to serve the larger purpose of revealing the hearts of those who prided themselves in their position, using it as a means of personal gain. It seems there were some among the teachers who used their roles in such a way as to exalt the importance of their standing, cover themselves with the most impressive use of religious language and appearance, all the while cheating widows out of their property.

Do we recognize the pattern anywhere? Oh, perhaps not to the extent of theft from defenseless ones. But becoming so enamored of our positions in church and world that we can hide behind them, drawing the focus to the role that is played, how important it is, yet knowing full well in the quiet moments that these things are all we have--the buffed shell of a spiritual life that not only suffers from emptiness, but takes hold of others as useful only to the maintenance of the image. In the name of the Lord. The epitome of such behavior is present in those who end up denying and actually defying the gospel of Christ. But I doubt anyone reaches that point but by small increment. Let all who lead take time to check for any hint of these tendencies lest they lead us away.