The one who wants to set himself up on a pedestal, who wants the whole world to look at him and how good he is, how zealous and radical he is, should give thought to certain warnings and instructions from Scripture.
Luke 18
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “ Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, k would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
We should be wary of lifting ourselves up, of exalting ourselves. The Pharisee was so proud that his prayer was little more than him bragging about his good works to God. We would be wiser to see ourselves as the tax collector, as sinners who are in need of God's mercy.
Luke 17
(Jesus said) 7 “ Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
In the end, we are even less than unprofitable, for we do not do all that is commanded of us. We are sinners, even we Christians, and we break God commands all the time. We have nothing to brag about in ourselves.
Matthew 6
(Jesus said) “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Seems pretty plain; Jesus warns us to not do good works so that we can be seen doing them. Even if no one else sees what we do, God sees us, and he will reward us.
Matthew 10
(Jesus said) 40 "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
It is the world that focuses so much on the big, the loud, the flashy. It is the world that focuses so much on the outward appearance, but it is God who sees the heart. God will reward even the one who can give only a cup of water, one a small bit of refreshment.
Ephesians 4
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Far from lifting ourselves up and bragging about our supposed radicalness, Paul tells us to be humble, gentle, and patient, bearing with each other in love.
And, finally, there is this sobering account from Jesus.
Matthew 7
(Jesus said) 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
How radical were these people? They were prophets, they were miracle workers, they even cast out demons! And they did it all in Jesus' name! Yet Jesus rejects them, he says he did not know them. Their works were sin, lawless, even their supposed great works and miraculous works.
Can we see how dangerous pride is? How dangerous boasting is? How any attempts to lift ourselves up is unwise?
