Matthew 21:46 They
looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the
people held that he was a prophet.
I used to wonder why the
religious authorities didn’t arrest Jesus sooner, and I questioned what made
them so afraid of the people. I guess it wasn’t the appointed time and that the
chief priests, as well as other leaders, were trying desperately to hold on to
their positions of power, esteem, and influence. They were weak because they
were intimidated by the grass roots; they were paralyzed because of their fear
of the people.
Today, we’re sadly seeing
a similar lack of leadership in our elected representatives. They’re so scared
of grass root rebellion that they’ll do nothing about the vileness and
corruption of their political leaders. They would rather rally behind a coarse
and cowardly person than support a real substantial leader; they would rather
follow a conceited conman than a courageous candidate because they’re afraid of
what ‘their people’ will do.
The chief priests and
scribes eventually caved to mob rule by having their religious opponent
crucified. It was a cowardly act and one which ultimately destroyed their religious
power and partisan group. If history is known to repeat itself, then those who fanatically
follow a corrupt strongman will ruin themselves. Those who fear the angry mob
and support tyrants will end up losing everything.
Point to ponder: Why
are people so afraid of the truth?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we
live in strange times. Fear has damaged our faith and liars have tarnished the
truth. Open our eyes to see what is really happening and give us strong hearts
to confront the corruption we know exists. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly
pray. Amen.
John Stuart is a retired
Scottish Presbyterian pastor living in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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