Flee from the vainglory! It can make us neglect even those who love us.
• “A man shall be praised according to his wisdom, but he who is of a perverse heart shall be *despised* .” (Pro 12:8).
• “Better is one *despised*, and having a servant, than he honoring himself and lacks bread.” (Pro 12:9).
Worst than a man of perverse heart is someone that vaunts himself. I know that this can be antic. Nonetheless, Jesus was clear:
• “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Rev 3:15,16).
After all, the perverse, even being worthy of all disesteem, many times worries about those who care for them. However, those who are braggart, don’t care about nothing but except being always on the top, over everyone and everything. They are capable of trampling feelings and thoughts of their spouse and children only to keep their status.
It isn’t in vain that the Creator resist to them (1Pe 5:5):
• “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” (Jas 4:6).
You don’t see, in the Holy Scripture, the Creator resisting to the criminals. Jesus, in particular, walked in company of tax collectors, sinners and prostitutes. Even in face of death, at no moment Jesus tell off Pilate, Herod or any soldier. Not even the pagan idolaters Jesus scathed.
Nonetheless, you can see in all the four gospels Jesus scolding the Religious Leaders of Israel. One of the reasons can be seen below:
• “Then the chief priests and Pharisees gathered a sanhedrin, and said, What can we do? For this man does many miracles. If we let him alone this way, all will believe on him. And the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” (Joh 11:47,48).
See that they didn’t wish to lose their dominion about the rabble. Many of them believed in Jesus:
• “Still, however, even out of the rulers, many did believe on Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.” (Joh 12:42,43).
Nicodemus corroborated this:
• “And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, *we know* that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles which you do unless God is with him.” (Joh 3:1,2).
Perceive that he didn’t say “I know”, but “we know”. He and the other Pharisees knew that Jesus was a teacher coming from the Creator.
But the truth is that the haughty don’t desire to give in, even before incontestable truths:
• “But seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were unlearned and uneducated men, they marveled. And they recognized them, that they had been with Jesus.” (Act 4:13).
The sanhedrin recognized that Jesus really resurrected, but stayed misleading the people and their deception stays until today.
So, have a day fraught of the praise coming from the Creator. But, for this, pray and pore on the Holy Scripture so that you may be filled with His wisdom.
• “A man shall be praised according to his wisdom, but he who is of a perverse heart shall be *despised* .” (Pro 12:8).
• “Better is one *despised*, and having a servant, than he honoring himself and lacks bread.” (Pro 12:9).
Worst than a man of perverse heart is someone that vaunts himself. I know that this can be antic. Nonetheless, Jesus was clear:
• “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” (Rev 3:15,16).
After all, the perverse, even being worthy of all disesteem, many times worries about those who care for them. However, those who are braggart, don’t care about nothing but except being always on the top, over everyone and everything. They are capable of trampling feelings and thoughts of their spouse and children only to keep their status.
It isn’t in vain that the Creator resist to them (1Pe 5:5):
• “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” (Jas 4:6).
You don’t see, in the Holy Scripture, the Creator resisting to the criminals. Jesus, in particular, walked in company of tax collectors, sinners and prostitutes. Even in face of death, at no moment Jesus tell off Pilate, Herod or any soldier. Not even the pagan idolaters Jesus scathed.
Nonetheless, you can see in all the four gospels Jesus scolding the Religious Leaders of Israel. One of the reasons can be seen below:
• “Then the chief priests and Pharisees gathered a sanhedrin, and said, What can we do? For this man does many miracles. If we let him alone this way, all will believe on him. And the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” (Joh 11:47,48).
See that they didn’t wish to lose their dominion about the rabble. Many of them believed in Jesus:
• “Still, however, even out of the rulers, many did believe on Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.” (Joh 12:42,43).
Nicodemus corroborated this:
• “And there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, Rabbi, *we know* that you are a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles which you do unless God is with him.” (Joh 3:1,2).
Perceive that he didn’t say “I know”, but “we know”. He and the other Pharisees knew that Jesus was a teacher coming from the Creator.
But the truth is that the haughty don’t desire to give in, even before incontestable truths:
• “But seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were unlearned and uneducated men, they marveled. And they recognized them, that they had been with Jesus.” (Act 4:13).
The sanhedrin recognized that Jesus really resurrected, but stayed misleading the people and their deception stays until today.
So, have a day fraught of the praise coming from the Creator. But, for this, pray and pore on the Holy Scripture so that you may be filled with His wisdom.