Love The Neighbor, Pity The Scribes

Then He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40

Uh oh, one scribe was close to the kingdom of heaven, but the others were far, far away. We can see various places or situations mentioned here where we face the same temptations. It is nice to get a good seat at an event. If one of us regularly prays in front of others it can become a performance instead of a prayer. The best seat at the feast gets to enjoy hot food, the seat way down yonder not so much. The long robe thing may have passed into history, but each of us has at least some desire to look good when we go out. Of course, underneath the surface temptations may lurk the desire to look down on our fellow humans, to show ourselves superior in some way. Jesus said to love our neighbor as ourselves. Those scribes don't sound very loving, and we can fall into the same trap.

Love to you, dear neighbor!

Bucky