Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

–Parallel verses:
James 2:5-9
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

I once traveled to an old protestant church in Rhode Island. It was an historic building, and it was beautifully decorated with long wooden carved pews. I also noticed something I thought was quite peculiar – the pews in the front of the church were originally reserved for particular families. I naturally assumed these seats were reserved for those in high position or who had given a lot of money. (I could be wrong, but let’s assume they were, for illustration’s point.) Now if you know much about the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther wrote against the man-made rules of the church and in part, its favoritism. The Church restricted literacy and learning for the common people, and the Protestant Reformation called for an end to the use of indulgences (paying money for the forgiveness of sins) and other man-made laws that were not Biblical. It opened up the Bible to the common man. The Bible is clear: we are not to show favoritism among the body of Christ. So I found this practice of reserving the best seats up front to be ironic, as it would seem this is what those who founded this country, as mostly protestants, were in part trying to run away from.

The point Jesus is making here in Luke is not just about where you sit in church. It is, at its core, all about the compromises we are faced with making in life … to gain the approval of men. When we taste the glory this world and its people offer, we can savor it and internalize it to pump ourselves up, or we can pass it on to give God the glory. When we give God the glory, we also don’t give people in this world power over us and our decisions.

The Pharisees cared about being treated as “a cut above” the rest, based on man-made rules. They compared themselves to others to look good. And it crippled their spiritual effectiveness in life. They could not operate in God’s love, truth, and grace when they were so focused on their appearance and position with others.

What is it in our lives that threatens to draw us into the praise of men at the cost of faithful obedience to God?

Lord, thank you for calling out my sin at times, like you do here with the Pharisees. You love me enough to challenge me into your ways which are best! May I quickly let go of the approval of the people of this world, and stay focused on knowing your heart, seeking after you, and doing your work.