As I think about the chief priests and the scribes, they remind me of our modern televangelists. They preach for their own profit, not understanding what it is that they preach. They see all the people grabbing onto the emotional atmosphere they provide and falling captive to it. The chief priests and scribes were accustomed to the attention of the people in religious matters. However, Jesus captivated the people by His ability to expound the word of God (Matthew 7:28-29; John 7:46).
From the start of Jesus’ ministry, the chief priests and scribes persecuted Him. They followed Him, searching for error. Much to their dismay, they found none. In fact, He turned the people against them, revealing their errors. In one discourse, He publicly called them hypocrites seven times to their face (Matthew 23:1-36).
The chief priests and scribes are a sad group. They were the religious leaders of the nation. They read the scriptures on a daily basis, they studied the deep things of the mind of God. All of the Law and the Prophets was before their eyes, yet they were blind. All they saw was a crusader who dared to challenge their authority.
Do we rebel against His control of our lives? When we give ourselves to Christ, He reigns as King (Galatians 2:20). All of us are subject to Him. The chief priests and scribes had long forgotten this fact. The televangelists who clutter the screens of our televisions as well have forgotten. Let us not for- get!
Kyle Campbell
