The Pharisees Loved the Approval of Others

Religion can be one of the biggest ego trips around. What deserves more honorable mention than to be recognized as a good and godly person? Or what plays more to our sense of self-importance and pride than to be thought of as someone of whom God approves?
It might seem better to be recognized as a good person than as a godless one. Wouldn’t it be better to be known as a priest or a pastor than as a pornographer or prostitute? Maybe not. Jesus said that unless something changed, the Pharisees were going to the same hell as the godless. The only difference was that Jesus reserved His severest criticism for religious people who were using their spiritual reputation to get social attention and honors. To the religious leaders, Jesus said:
“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplace” (Luke 11:43).
We all love to be appreciated by others. We love to be approved by those who see something praiseworthy in us. That’s not bad. What is bad, however, is when the opinions of others become more important to us than the opinions of God. What is dangerous is when the flattery and approving attention of others becomes like a narcotic, numbing us to our lack of love for others, to the presence and mind of God, and to the fact that in our sober moments we know that our reputation is far better than we are.
Being good at the rules of religion enables us to get the praise of men. Submitting to Christ, however, is the only way to have the favor of God. This is true even after  a person has accepted Christ and entered into the religion of the church. The question of whether we are going to play to the grandstands or to god continues to be an issue for as long as we live.
The apostle Paul knew what it was like to struggle with human criticism and to be found unacceptable by members of one’s own spiritual family. That’s why he wrote to critics in Corinth: “With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord”
(1 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Later, Paul wrote: “We dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise”(2 Corinthians 10:12).
Paul had learned to take criticism with grace, not because it didn’t hurt but because he had found that human recognition and honor don’t count (Phil. 3:1-10). All that counts is hearing Christ say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Paul had been a Pharisee. He knew the difference between being recognized by religion or being approved by Christ.
Tomorrow, the next mistake of the Pharisees.