“Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places.” (Luke 11:43)
To be worthy means: having sufficient worth or importance! So, how does Jesus view this:
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me IS NOT WORTHY OF ME.” (Matt. 10:38)
We are taught this very important lesson by Paul about “taking up” our cross!
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility VALUE OTHERS ABOVE YOURSELVES, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, HE MADE HIMSELF NOTHING by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (Phil. 2:3-7)
No matter what we may accomplish in this life, how high we may climb and how hard we may work to get there; our example Jesus, who is God the Son made flesh, made himself “nothing” to emphasize the ungodly nature of pride and selfishness! Pride is self-importance and self-focus which leads to selfishness which is selfish thinking and selfish acting — the opposite of Jesus’ new command of agape love in John 13:34.
“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.” (James 3:16).
Pride is the root of selfishness and therefore the root of evil. We cannot see Pride, it is hidden but manifests as selfish acts.
“…GOD IS 1OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time…” (1 Peter 5:5-6) 1antitassomai: to resist, to range in battle against.
We do not want to do battle with God!!!
Help us Lord to humble ourselves under your mighty hand…Bill Stockham