2 and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
I hate it when someone tries to invalidate my work and worth. I have value because I am created in the image of God. Only God is in a position to do that, and He never would. He already stated that we are good when He created us. He was and is pleased with His work. The religious leaders are looking for a way to take Jesus out of the picture. They have tried to trick Him into saying something that would give them grounds for charging and arresting him. They failed in that endeavor. They are willing to do almost anything to discredit Him. They have called Him ‘demon possessed’ in an effort to pull the plug on His ministry, but the people follow Him even more. They have not gotten to the place where it appears they only have one choice: kill him. Every other effort to defuse His popularity has failed. You see, Jesus was a threat to them personally and professionally. If the people followed what Jesus was saying, their position in society would be greatly diminished. Instead of listening to their leadership, the people listen to Jesus. They would see that they can go directly to God, that the sacrifices and rituals supported by the religious leaders are no longer needed. They get cut out of the loop. They see this very clearly and fight against it. What do you do when you see that you are being cut out of the loop? Do you fight, kick and scream? Do you check your own motives in the process? Do you examine yourself and see if there are grounds for their action? Or do you do like I usually do, question their motives and actions! Our reactions are often fear-based. Just as the religious leaders were afraid their position was in jeopardy, that is often the way we feel. Fear can motivate us to take action that in an non-fear time would seem totally out of character for us. Is fear having an influence on actions you are taking in your present situations? Are you reacting out of fear? Fear grows out of a lack of security and safety, often connected to our relationships with others. I want to encourage you to hear the words of Scripture: Fear not! When God is in our lives, we have no reason to fear.
The Arnold Journey 