July 12. Mark 12. Stephanie Barbero

The Trap of Arrogance

Until recently, I have read passages such as these while separating myself from the people in the text. I read about the tenants from the parable and saw their greed and their violence. I looked upon these Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees all testing Jesus and I saw their arrogance. I thought to myself, “How could they not realize that they are trying to trap the Son of God?”. I saw their wickedness without any connection to my own. However, I have come to realize that I can, and should, see myself in these people. That these passages serve as a warning to us, and as believers we need to be vigilant so that we do not become arrogant ourselves. These Pharisees were more learned in the scriptures than I am, and yet their pride kept them from recognizing their own Messiah standing right before them. This is a scary thought because it shows just how easy it is to stray from the Word without even realizing it. 

So then, how do we avoid this? Jesus himself gives us the answer in verses 29-31 with the Great Commandment. If we are truly loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves, then we are obeying the heart of God’s word. In this way, we are recognizing Christ as the cornerstone of our salvation. As I begin my day today I am left with two questions:  How can I love and worship God today? And, How can I love my neighbor as myself today?