And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not? Mark 12:14
I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark. Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17. Excerpts from the commentary's second (of four) division (v14):
- The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Setup: Beware of Flattering Words."
- We are warned about those who try and trap us by flattery - see also Psalms 5:9, Proverbs 26:28, 29:5.
- From the text, "[e]ven though [the] flattery [of the Pharisees and Herodians] is insincere, what they say is actually true! And since it is true, He will not be snared by their words. His ego will not inflate; pride will not cause Him to lower His guard. No, Jesus, the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:30), will not be tripped up by the foolishness of men."
Flattery can be used in good ways and in bad and here in the text the Pharisees and Herodians sought to us it for evil and we should be on guard for how this can occur for us. Flattery does make us feel good and we may be tempted to be influenced into sin by those who flatter us. As a general rule, as I posted yesterday, we must be alert to how Satan is real and "on the prowl." We must be steadfast in our faith not be influenced into sin by flattery. For example, we can rest on our identity in Christ - see also John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17 and we should not be conformed to the world - Romans 12:2.
Comment and discuss this post.
My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that sent Your Son who was tempted in all ways but never succumbed to sin but even after living a perfect sinless live died on the cross so that I could have life now to the full and for eternity. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
