Find Hope: Matthew 1-4Sample

What Do You Think Prevents Repentance?

Pride.

Pride comes in many forms. It can be seen in an arrogant businessman who is stubborn and unwilling to admit his mistakes. But it also appears in an addict, whose life is a mess, yet they are unwilling to listen to the advice of others. It can even be found in a beautiful old lady at church who is unwilling to sit anywhere but her spot in church.

The spiritual writer Andrew Murray once wrote, “Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you.”

When John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing he formed a crowd. And among the crowd were the religious leaders—the Pharisees and Sadducees. These leaders didn't come to listen, obey, repent, and be baptized but to observe and judge John’s ministry.

John’s message was simple, yet because of pride, these leaders observed rather than participated. In response, John rebukes them harshly, saying, “You brood of vipers!” Jesus follows John’s example later in Matthew 22. Jesus is incredibly kind, and the only people he was direct and blunt with were the proud and religious.

In your life, who is someone you need to rebuke for pride and religiosity?

A friend, someone at church, or maybe someone who looks back at you in the mirror each day?

When we understand Jesus spoke to the religious, a temptation for us is to rebuke and condemn the arrogant. However, the problem with this, is that we are more like the proud religious leaders than Jesus because there are many forms of pride within our soul that we need to repent of and purge out, many forms of pride that we need to get the axe out and chop down.

Today, ponder this: Where is there ungodly pride and arrogance in your soul?