Backroom deals abound. Corporations in bed with politicians. Special interest groups writing legislation. The Justice Department being told not to enforce justice. Infectious diseases spreading without acknowledging the role of politics in its spreading. And all this to keep up the appearance of those in power.
Jesus puts His finger in the eye of the teachers of the law, those who were charged with educating the next generation about every area that was touched by the Scriptures. And just about every area of life was touched. They taught about the LORD, but also about economics and interpersonal relationships.
The problem became their own egos. They wanted to be important people. They wanted people to recognize their importance. They wanted the pats on the back. The wanted the special parking places. They wanted the exclusive clubs. They wanted the embossed place cards. They wanted all the outward symbols of success and respect.
But behind the scenes, where no one was really looking, they were crooks. They used their positions to get what they wanted. And they wanted more for themselves. They wanted fat portfolios. They took advantage of the weakest in their society for personal gain.
To put it in a modern context, they left political office and moved into the corporate world as a payment for their role in passing favorable legislation. They took favors from those over whom they had regulatory authority. They got cozy with the crooks and in the process became crooks themselves. They gave bankers the orders to lend money to those unable to pay, and then blamed those very banks for carrying out their orders. And then they tried to set themselves up as the heroes by forcing all of us to pay for their mistake, billions of dollars from my grandchildren’s pockets.
Jesus says that this kind of behavior earns the worst punishment. He doesn’t sugarcoat the problem. He isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. The combination of crook and piety don’t mix. When a lawyer gets caught having an affair, the world says it’s no big deal. But when a Christian gets caught…. That is another story.
The Arnold Journey 