Tag: Arrogance

Reduced to Silence

Our reading is Mark 9:30-35. Jesus and the disciples are walking toward Jerusalem, and everyone knows a great conflict is coming with leaders of the orthodox faith. However, Jesus and the disciples view that conflict in completely different ways. Jesus is focused on the will of God and his appointment with the cross. The disciples are focused on their personal desires. They believe Jesus is a political Messiah who will lead a political revolution against the Romans. As Jesus’s friends, they believe they will receive powerful positions in the new government. So, they begin arguing about who will get the most powerful positions. Their arrogance is on display for the entire world to see. When Jesus confronts them about their arrogance, they are reduced to silence. There is no place for arrogance in the Kingdom of God.

In this blog, I want to help you eliminate arrogance from your life by looking at three reasons the disciples were reduced to silence. Arrogance is an important topic for anyone who wants to be used by God in this world. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” So why were the disciples reduced to silence?

The disciples were reduced to silence because of their ruthless pride. I did not say pride, I said ruthless pride. There is a great difference between the two. I believe that having a certain kind of pride is good. For example, I am proud of my wife, who has helped countless people around the world through her nonprofit. I am proud of my daughters because they help children in their occupations. I am proud of my grandchildren – I believe they are perfect. I am proud I served in the ministry for decades, and I am thankful God called me. I am proud of the Christian faith; it is the one true religion. I am proud to be an American. Far from perfect, I do not want to live anywhere else. Having pride in certain things is a good thing.

The disciples didn’t just have pride; they had ruthless pride. Ruth is one of the great characters in the Old Testament. She is remembered for love, loyalty, thoughtfulness, and faithfulness. In her story, she worried more about her mother-in-law, Naomi, than she did about herself. She is a beautiful example of humility. The disciples in our story are not “ruth-filled”; they are ruthless. They cared only about themselves and possessed none of Ruth’s qualities. Their ruthless behavior had to be eliminated from their lives if they were going to be part of the Kingdom of God. In the same way, ruthless pride must be eliminated from your life if you are going to be used by God in this world. The disciples were guilty of ruthless pride. They were arrogant and were reduced to silence.

The disciples were reduced to silence because of their bitter self-centeredness. They dreamed about how this new kingdom would benefit them. They showed no concern for others and no sign of personal humility. Their arrogance was on full display. American evangelist Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) once said, “God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves.” Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility value others as better than yourself.”

On Christmas Eve 1910, the Salvation Army held its international convention in London. The organizers asked their founder, William Booth (1829-1912), to speak. Unable to attend because of poor health, he sent a telegram. To save money, the telegram contained only one word: OTHERS.

In 1964, Roy DeLamotte (1918-2010) served as chaplain at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. He was once asked to deliver a sermon answering the question, “What’s in religion for me?” The sermon became famous because it was the shortest in the history of Paine College. It was one word: NOTHING. When asked how long it took him to prepare the message, he said, “Twenty years.” It is too bad that the disciples didn’t attend that convention or hear that sermon. They were only worried about themselves and were reduced to silence, guilty of bitter self-centeredness.

The disciples were reduced to silence because of their bickering hostility. They were wrestling for position, hoping to influence the whole group. They were guilty of a condition I call “elitist domination.” That happens when one person or a small group dominates the behavior of the whole group. Sometimes, it is a well-meaning layperson. Sometimes, it is the pastor. How many struggling congregations do you know that are run by a small group or individual?

During my time in ministry, I believed in something called “healthy tension.” This is when everyone is permitted to express an opinion. Yes, tension arises and feelings can be hurt, but I believe that tension can be God’s will. In a local church, two groups are always present: bean counters and visionaries. Both hold strong opinions and believe they are right. Bean counters base their decisions on logic, while visionaries base their decisions on their hearts. If you have ever said in a church meeting, “We can’t afford it,” you are a bean counter. If you have ever said, “We need to step out in faith,” you are a visionary. The truth is that neither bean counters nor visionaries are always right. The best church decisions are often a compromise between the two. We find God’s will in that compromise. The disciples did not want tension or compromise, they wanted to dominate the entire group and were guilty of hostile bickering. They were arrogant and were ultimately reduced to silence. Let me end with a story I have told many times. At first, I thought it was historically accurate, but now I am not sure. Regardless, it makes a point.

In 1969, a group of friends in Pass Christian, Mississippi, gathered for a “hurricane party.” Police Chief Jerry Peralta arrived and urged everyone to leave because the storm was approaching. The group arrogantly refused. The officer wrote down their names, just in case. It was a good thing he did. On August 17 at 10:15 p.m., Hurricane Camille came ashore with winds of more than 200 miles per hour. Raindrops struck with the force of bullets, and waves along the Gulf Coast crested between twenty-two and twenty-eight feet high. Later news reports showed that Pass Christian, Mississippi, suffered some of the worst damage. Approximately twenty people were killed during the hurricane party. Nothing remained of the three-story structure except its foundation. Let me ask you a question: What killed them? Did the hurricane kill them, or was it their arrogance?

Jesus reduced the disciples to silence when He confronted them about their arrogance. Could that be our story? Are we dead in the water because of our arrogance? God cannot use you in His work if you are filled with ruthless pride, bitter self-centeredness, or bickering hostility. Perhaps Proverbs 16:18 says it best: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Give Up Arrogance!

Billy Graham (1918-2018) died on February 21, 2018. If anyone deserved to go to heaven, it was Billy Graham. He preached the gospel to more people than anyone in history. Only God knows how many souls he won for Jesus Christ. Yet, Billy himself never forgot the truth. He was a sinner, who was dependent on God’s grace. Those closest to him told us, Billy Graham helped plan his own funeral. As he listened to his own arrangements, he had a simple request: less about Billy, more about Jesus. Billy Graham was a humble man. He never forgot, he was saved by grace and by grace alone! How humble are you? With that in mind let us look at our Gospel lesson.

We find ourselves today in the eighteenth chapter of Luke. Bruce Larson (1925-2008) was the Senior Pastor of the University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington. He once said, the first thirty verses of this chapter are vital because these verses contain the qualities, we must possess to live the abundant life in Jesus Christ. In our reading for today, we discover one of those qualities, humility. At the very heart of this parable is humility. Like all parables, it is easy to imagine.

Two men went to the temple to pray. There is nothing surprising about that line. The people of Jesus’s day valued prayer. They prayed regularly. Daily, morning and evening prayer was scheduled at the temple in connection with the sacrifices. However, the temple was always open for private prayer. Prayer was not isolated to the Sabbath. Prayer was a big part of their daily lives. In Jesus’ story, one of the men was a Pharisee. He is the embodiment of arrogance. He stood upright and reported to God all his good deeds. He fasted twice a week and gave generously to the poor. The other man was a Publican, or a tax collector. He is the embodiment of complete brokenness. He stands at a distance beating his breast. He is not proud of the life is he living. He admits he is a sinner, and he asks God for mercy. The two gentlemen in Jesus’s story are from opposite ends of the universe. There is nothing surprising in the story until the last verse. Verse fourteen says, “I tell you that this man, (the tax collector) rather than the other, (the Pharisee) went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  Can I ask you a question? Do you relate more to the tax collector or the Pharisee?

John C. Maxwell (born 1947) is an American author, speaker and pastor. He has written many books. His primary topic is leadership. He once said, “There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. “Good pride” represents our dignity and self-respect. “Bad pride” is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.”  We call bad pride, arrogance. How many people do you know who have “bad pride?” How many arrogant people do you know? Our world is, and always has been, filled with arrogant people. Webster defines arrogance as “offensive displays of superiority.” If you don’t believe me, just ask the internet highway.

Who are the most arrogant celebrities? That is the question I punched into my google search engine. You can find anything on-line. There are many sites with such a list. This one came from a website called “top-ten.” According to them, these are the most arrogant celebrities—

I will give the top five to you in reverse order:

          5. Charlie Sheen

          4. Alec Baldwin

          3. Lindsay Lohan

          2. Kim Kardashian

          1. Kanye West

I was surprised that Justin Bieber wasn’t on the list. He came in at number eleven. However, he was number one on the list of annoying celebrities. It pains me to say it, but John Wayne, “The Duke,” is number six.

Then, I punched the question, what are the most arrogant countries in the world? Once again, I will give them to you in reverse order:

          5. South Korea

          4. Israel

          3. Italy

          2. India

          1. United States

Ok, I will tell you. Great Britain was number six and Russia was number seven. Just think about that for a moment. Kanye West and the United States of America have this sad thing in common. We are both viewed by the world as the most arrogant. That means, we are the Kanye West of the world. Could it be our national pride has turned into our national arrogance?

Then, I punched in the question, who are the most arrogant people in history? Our generation is not the first to struggle with arrogance. History is filled with arrogant characters. One of the names on that list is found in the Bible, Herod the Great (74 BC– 4 BC). Jesus was born under his rule. Do you know his story? Insecure and paranoid, he thought the entire world was after his throne. For this reason, he never trusted anyone, including his own family. Everyone said and everyone knew, it was better to be Herod’s dog than it was to be Herod’s son. He hated everyone and in return everyone hated him. Herod the Great knew that everyone hated him, to the point that he feared that people would celebrate at his death. How would that look? He wanted to fool history, so he gave a sinister order. He ordered that on the day of his death, three hundred innocent lives should be taken. He hoped the loved ones of the three hundred would mourn openly, tricking the world into thinking they were grieving for him. I am glad to report, that order was never executed. Listen to the next line. Arrogance fools itself into thinking it is attractive, but it is not. Let us return to our Gospel lesson. It is about arrogance. Here is a question you must answer.

Why does God hate arrogance? There is not a single answer. However, there are four answers. Let me list them for you and give you a Biblical illustration with each one.

  1. Arrogance damages our relationship with God.  The one thing we know about God clearly is that He loves being worshipped. The problem is arrogance lies to us and tells us we are equal to God. In the story of the exodus, Pharaoh believed he was a god. (Exodus 5:2) The Egyptian people at that time saw him as a god in human form. His arrogance led to him challenging God. In the end, the Pharaoh lost. He was devastated, because he was not a god. He was just a man. He illustrates the point. Arrogance damages our relationship with God.
  • Arrogance damages our relationships with others. In my station in life, I have seen it countless times. Siblings live less than a mile apart, but they haven’t spoken in years. Their stories are different, but the stories are the same. There is some ugly scene in the past no one will forget. The relationship between the participants has been eroding to the point that they no longer speak. They think the word, I love you or I am sorry, but they can’t utter those words because their personal pride is so great. Each one plays the anti-Joseph. In Joseph’s story, he reunited with his brothers because he was humble and forgave them. (Genesis 50:15-21) If Joseph can forgive his brothers, then why can’t you forgive? Could it be your pride, your arrogance, is holding you back? Arrogance is a dangerous thing. Arrogance damages our relationships with others.
  • Arrogance damages ourselves. When arrogance fills our hearts, we begin to make poor decisions. We forget about the long range and concentrate on the short term. We have seen it countless times. Celebrities take senseless risks because they believe it will never happen to them. It did. It is a story of self-destruction. In the Bible, Naaman is a story of self-destruction. (Second Kings 5) You remember is story. He had a good life and a powerful position. Then, the unthinkable happens. He gets leprosy. A servant of his wife’s tells him about Elisha. It is the prophet who tells him how to be healed. He is to wash himself seven times in the Jordan, then he will be healed. It seems like a quick fix, but it is hard for Naaman to do because he is an arrogant man. The story has a happy ending. Naaman washes himself in the Jordan and he is healed. Arrogance is a dangerous thing. Arrogance damages ourselves.
  • Arrogance damages our purpose. One of the great challenges in the local church is not a lack of gifted people or money. One of the great challenges in the life of the local church is a surplus of arrogance. Everyone seems to know what is best for the whole and everyone seems to control everything. This is the truth. You don’t and you can’t. That is why conflict is common in the local church. If you think you know what is best for the whole, then you are more like James and John than you think. Do you remember the story? (Mark 10:35-45) As Jesus is traveling down the road, James and John comes up to Jesus with a request. They want one to sit and his right and the other to sit at his left. Those are positions of authority in a political kingdom. The problem is Jesus didn’t come for political reasons. He came to establish a spiritual kingdom. The entire discussion is a distraction and waste of time. James and John are guilty of being arrogant.Arrogance is a dangerous thing.Arrogance damages our purpose. Never forget, God hates arrogance. Do the people in your life consider you arrogant? Do the people in your life consider you humble?

Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) was born in Romania, but he is remembered as an American author and Holocaust survivor. On April 19, 1992, he wrote an article that appeared in Parade Magazine. In his story, a man is sitting on a boat surrounded by other passengers. Without warning he begin to chop a hole in the boat under his seat. The other passengers begin to shout and shriek at him, “What are you doing? Have you gone mad? Do you want to destroy us all by sinking the boat?” Calmly the man answered, “I don’t understand. What I am doing is my own business. It is none of your business. The hole is under my seat, not yours. The egoist ignored the truth that they were all in the same boat. Let me remind you.

We are all in the same boat. This is the bottom line. If you want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, then check your ego at the door and join the team. It is not all about you. However, it is all about Jesus. Do you remember the quote from John C. Maxwell He once said, “There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. “Good pride” represents our dignity and self-respect. “Bad pride” is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.”  How many people do you know who have “bad pride?” Are you guilty of “bad pride?” Do the people in your life consider you arrogant?