…The Unrighteous Ego
“Jesus sees the man lying on his mat, next to a pool, and asks, “Do you want to be well?” The man says yes, and Jesus replies, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” Immediately, the man is healed. One would expect that everyone around the cured man would rejoice, but just the contrary: the Jewish leaders are infuriated and confounded. They see the healed man and their first response is, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.”
“Why are they so reactive? Why don’t they want this to be? Why? Because they undermine the games of oppression and exclusion that we rely upon in order to boost our own egos.”
Sadly, we see this everyday amongst all classes and ages, all races and beliefs. Insecure people protecting their own egos by attempting to condemn others for any sake, right or wrong. They won’t allow others to be glorified for fear of lessening their own worth.
Fortunately, those are not God’s ways. When others abandon, ridicule or condemn, He elevates us! He raises us up with Him! He justifies our worth just by the sound of His name. His love eradicates egos, barriers, and self serving tendencies. It is far reaching and everlasting and beyond the scope of our comprehension.
Lord Have Mercy,
Paula