by Mike Bennett

In Matthew 23 Jesus Christ clearly detailed the sins of the religious leaders of His day. They had authority, but they didn’t use it for the good of the people. They exalted themselves and were hypocritical.

Many times during His ministry Jesus pointed out the foolishness of exalting ourselves—in the long run it will always backfire. (For example, see what Jesus said about seeking the best places at a feast in Luke 14:7-11, applying what He inspired Solomon to write in Proverbs 25:6-7.)

Learning true humility in this life will pay off in due time in the Kingdom of God when those who have suffered with Christ will be “glorified together” with Him (Romans 8:17).

For a deeper look at these contrasting attitudes, see the article “The Pharisee and the Tax Collector.” See also “Humility: Why It Matters.”

Tomorrow on the Daily Bible Verse Blog: “Weightier Matters of the Law” (Matthew 23:23).