But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men, for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. Matthew 23:5
Jesus Loves The Prideful, Too
(He doesn't love that they are prideful)
Why do we respond to prideful people negatively?
Do they mirror our souls?
Do they reflect our sense of being less than?
Do they trip the wire holding the floodgate that conceals our pride?
Jesus not only invited the ragamuffin, leper, prostitute, and tax-collecting traitor but also invited the Pharisee and Sadducee to the banquet table.
Once at the table, He changes appetites from loving the main course of self to loving the servant King of the banquet.
He isn’t intimidated by our pride.
He doesn’t see status or pride unless it gets in the way of His love for us.
He sees you and me as lost and now-found sons and daughters.
And being lost doesn’t change value. It moves the heart to see value. “You don’t know what you’ve got until it's gone.”
He wants us to see the oppressed and the status climbing as loved by Him.
Lord, open our eyes to seeing all people as You see them. May we genuinely love past our flesh responses to the eternal value You have placed within us and upon us. Amen