Hyphenated
Matthew 9:34 But the
Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”
IN the 1980’s the culture began to preach the “hyphenated
doctrine”. You know the doctrine well. It goes like this: “Seek self-worth,
self-esteem and self-pleasure. Read the self-help books and know the way to
happiness is focusing on your self-needs. After all, what is truth but what is
good for your self?”
Sadly we’ve seen
how that has worked out, haven’t we? Rates of depression and suicide continue
to grow. We have a hard time staying married, and our kids who are told, “You
can do anything you want.” more and more have no clue what they want to do.
The self-focus is,
of course, not new in world history. Eve sought the fruit because the Liar
Satan told her that she could raise her self to a god-like level. The Pharisees,
too, who witnessed Jesus’ stunning healings and demon deliverance, responded
from their self-preservation. They knew that if they submitted themselves to
Jesus’ lordship that they would no longer be “lords” of the Jewish religious
society.
Thankfully, Jesus
came to save the world from this self-focus that we would again focus on God.
But the Pharisees dug in their heels. They rejected the evidence of God before
them, self-evaluating God’s power in the context of their self-worshiping
minds. The Pharisees looked at Jesus. They looked at themselves. They preferred
the self-view.
We know, though,
that some of them would later see the truth and became leaders in the early
church. Praise God that he reveals his truth to some.
LIFE Link: How is it possible we can ever think that we can save
ourselves?
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