Self Promotion - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 9:34,

"'You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!' And they threw him out."

A man born blind was healed by Jesus. The religious set, the "Pharisees", feeling their standing in the community might be in jeopardy, had the man brought to them to question him about Jesus. Not satisfied with his answers (meaning the man didn't disavow Jesus), they called in his parents who failed to provide them with satisfaction. So, they summoned the healed man in again in an attempt to invalidate what Jesus had done for him. Again, not providing them satisfaction, they "threw him out."

I notice that about the religious set these days. When someone can further whatever it is they are promoting (usually just themselve), that someone becomes a darling among them. As soon as that someone fails to further the religious set's interests, they are unceremoniously dumped - thrown out.

At a church of a friend of mine, overweight women are not allowed to participate in the "praise team." They don't promote the "look" the leadership is interested in conveying to the community. In churches I have participated in (which in part prompted me to leave), people with children in trouble have been prevented from participating in activities during services (it might make the church look bad.) Likewise, with those experiencing marital difficulty (even when the culprit in the marriage was the spouse and not them).

For many in the religious set, when we don't add to, or contribute toward the interests of their agenda, we get "dumped." Just like the man born blind and healed by Jesus. He didn't further the cause of these religious Pharisees and was thrown out.

Where is the love? Where is the care and pastoral concern for those who don't benefit religious leaders? We have an enormous amount of religious leaders and "ministries" these days, but we really don't have many who are genuine followers of Jesus Christ in my view.

Show me someone who is willing to give up in behalf of others what they think they have acquired "in service" to the Lord, whether it be a built up ministry, a pulpit with a broad voice, a facility, a congregation, a televised ministry, etc. and I'll show you someone who has an undivided heart for the Lord.

These Pharisees were certainly unwilling to give anything up they felt important to them... and it led to their rejection of the Son of God! Self promotion in this life led them to the certainty of being cast into that fiery lake of burning sulfur in the next. (Some self promotion that was!)

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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