The greatest amount of knowledge can leave a situation completely unchanged for the better…but the smallest amount of love will inevitably make its mark on the world around it.
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Scripture
Luke 20:45-47
45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
Observation
The scribes ran a great PR campaign to prove their spiritual maturity. They knew the right information, they wore the right clothes, they knew the secret handshakes, they prayed the right prayers, and they got the right recognition at gatherings. Unfortunately, their carefully-groomed appearance and reputation glossed over one critical fact: They lacked love.
Though they knew the right information, their hearts lacked transformation. Though they prayed long-winded and holy sounding prayers to God, they never took the time to hear God’s reply to the prayers they prayed. Though they frequently were honored…they gave no honor to the most vulnerable members of their society.
Application
“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1)
A little bit of knowledge can inflate an ego faster than almost anything–but love builds others. Knowledge must prove itself, and when challenged…it must defend itself. Love needs no defense or claim of sufficiency–it simply offers itself with an open hand. The greatest amount of knowledge can leave a situation completely unchanged for the better…but the smallest amount of love will inevitably make its mark on the world around it.
Today, I choose to walk in love. Instead of seeking self-advancement and laboring to improve my public image, I choose to let the love of the Savior flow through me to impact the world. It may not bring me the best robe or the best seat at the party, but it will make a lasting impact somewhere in the world.
Prayer
God, thank you for this reminder of the importance of love. Help me to obtain the knowledge that I need for the journey, but may I never become so infatuated with knowledge that I forget to love people. Give me eyes today, to see those that you want to love through me.
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