Those Greedy Pharisees!

• How do you recognize greed in someone?

• Besides money, what are people greedy for?

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”
Matthew 23:25

In the New Testament, the Pharisees are often the bad guys. You can almost hear the villain’s music whenever they arrive on the scene. They’re the ones who are always trying to trick Jesus into saying something that goes against Scripture or accusing him of doing something wrong. One of their favorite schemes was to claim he was an agent of Satan.

Even though their reputation as enemies of Jesus is well earned, the Pharisees weren’t completely evil. They weren’t necessarily born with arrogant spirits and hard hearts. They were teachers of God’s law. They knew his Word better than almost anyone else. They went to great lengths to obey every word in Scripture. And the Jewish people respected them for it. In fact, they put the Pharisees on a pedestal.

That’s where the trouble started. Once leaders get a taste of the perks that go with leadership, there’s a great temptation to want more—whether it’s power, fame or money. That’s where greed is born.

That same temptation exists for Christian leaders today. That’s why we need to pray regularly for our pastors and teachers. We need to ask God to protect them from greed and keep their hearts pure.

PRAYER
Dear God, make yourself known today in the hearts of the pastors and teachers in our church. Give them the strength to resist temptation and keep their hearts pure. Amen.