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Antidote for Spiritual Pride An Attitude
of Gratitude So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.—John 11:41,42, NIV Todd Alexander During one of the most powerful miracles of his ministry, Jesus made sure that all who were about to watch the resurrection of Lazarus heard his words of gratitude to his heavenly Father. The miracle itself was startling enough to make many believe. However, Jesus’ prayer of thankfulness to God for hearing him demonstrated Jesus’ attitude of constant gratitude to his Father. Belief is defined by Webster as “an acceptance of something as true.” It generates a feeling of being certain about something. The disciples had strong personal feelings for Jesus, and when combined with their knowledge and the confirming evidence of a resurrection, it would make them powerful in their work. Jesus provided miracles as visual proof to help the disciples in their faith. He knew their minds. He also was able to confound the Pharisees with his insight into Scripture. But Jesus’ public displays of gratitude were especially effective because they not only created the certainty of belief in God’s power, they also bolstered the spiritual health of the disciples as the antidote for spiritual pride. Sincere gratitude is an index of a pure heart and therefore one of the most important of all human expressions. Gratitude is thankfulness exemplified. Gratitude feeds the human spirit with wholeness and strength. Gratitude, along with a conviction that Jesus was the Messiah, brought a diverse body of disciples together in communion. Gratitude along with love and devotion in the angelic life of the Logos was the core ingredient for his voluntary sacrifice. Gratitude in the heart of Lucifer would have prevented his fall. Gratitude in its simplest form is the antidote for spiritual pride; it keeps one focused on the new creature’s vision of eternal life. Jesus expressed gratitude to God many times during his ministry. The spirit of gratitude is indicated in Jewish Law (Deuteronomy 6:1-9), but it was not this requirement that motivated Jesus to show his gratitude to God or to teach its necessity to his disciples. His motivation came from his love for God; his gratitude was the outgrowth of that love.
“Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would” (John 6:11). Gratitude toward God came at the beginning of this miracle. Jesus acknowledged the sovereignty of God in all things and as the source of all of his blessings. But shortly Jesus would be gone and the group expressions of gratitude among the disciples would be an important tool to counteract the encroachments of pride that would try to separate them and corrupt their hearts. Gratitude toward God was an important common denominator necessary for the spiritual health of the disciples. Gratitude, as expressed so often by Jesus, helps unite God’s people in thanksgiving, fellowship, and common purpose. “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Luke 10:21). Jesus connected the disciples’ calling and growth in knowledge with the will of God. Through this extemporaneous prayer, Jesus gave his disciples important insight into their direct relationship with God. This prayer of gratitude surely brought to life the importance of powerful scriptural truths that the disciples had learned and that would soon be quickening them in active and powerful ways. w “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2). w “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:6). w “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12).
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“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay
thy vows unto the most High” (Psalm 50:14). The Lord’s Prayer “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew. 6:9). Jesus showed in his model prayer that gratitude can be expressed without the words “thank you.” He taught them to begin their prayers by recognizing God’s sovereignty in their lives, the orientation point for their spiritual compass. Being fully human, Jesus undoubtedly felt, but successfully resisted, the human tendency for dissatisfaction. Gratitude would provide the disciples a means to always be satisfied. For example, the apostle Paul with gratitude for God’s redirection of his life, showed the zeal and courage to begin his missionary journeys without knowing where the path would lead. John’s gratitude and confidence in the Lord’s direction would provide a receptive mind that would lead him to receive the words of Revelation. Both of these men were fueled by their constant state of appreciation for God’s direction and were ready to seize the opportunities that would come before them. The Memorial “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it” (Matthew 26:27). Jesus’ example that evening must have lived on poignantly in the memories of those who were there. As Jesus instituted the Memorial of his death, he gratefully recognized God’s provision of the blood that he was about to shed the next day. He knew that his disciples would have to deal with the challenge of their humanity in their trials and in their joys, but Jesus gave them a physical experience with each other that would always remind them of his confidence in them. They had Jesus’ example that night as he was facing the biggest test of his ministry: his composure, his trust in God, his confidence in them to “drink all of it” and his personal assurances touched each of them differently. Jesus showed them even in his greatest trial, that gratitude should precede the drinking of the cup in all of its sadness and in all of its joy. Sequestered in the upper room by their master, the flame of zeal in their hearts was stoked, animating their powerful ministries. But it all began with gratitude. Jesus showed them through his example, the power of leading a sanctified righteous life, the confidence of walking into the “lion’s den,” the willingness to sacrifice his body and his blood, all in the context of gratitude to his heavenly Father. Jesus’ grateful attitude provided unexcelled inspiration to those who were there and to us. The Garden of Gethsemane “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. … I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine” (John 17:6, 9). The moon was full that night and the disciples were tired. As they walked to the garden, they witnessed the final words of their master. They heard Jesus in heartfelt communion with the heavenly Father praying thankfully and deliberately for them and their protection. As John heard this prayer and reflected on its meaning, he was keenly aware that it was God who chose him to be a disciple (John 6:44). This must have flooded John’s heart with a sense of love, gratitude, and purpose in his uniquely transferable belief that Jesus was the son of God and the Messiah. Now, Jesus’ sense of gratefulness was imprinted on the hearts of all of his followers. In this respect, Jesus’ mission was accomplished. The last song sung by Jesus and the disciples before Jesus was taken had beautiful words of praise, gratitude, and supplication; it surely provided a wonderful lingering memory for them all. These are found in Psalms 113 to 118. Here are some examples: w “Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore” (Psalm 113:2). w “Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob” (Psalm 114:7). w “O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield” (Psalm 115:10). w “I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications” (Psalm 116:1). w “The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation” (Psalm 118:14). The next day, Jesus willingly sacrificed himself on the cross and therefore made the most powerful statement of his love, faith, diligence, patience, trust and devotion. Just as the prophet Samuel took a stone near Mizpeh and said, “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us” (1 Samuel 7:12), the cross on Calvary provided the disciples with a rock, a physical reminder of a life of gratitude to the heavenly Father.
It became a time of great fear and great tension in
the lives of the disciples. It was time for them to take ownership of their own
deliberate conclusions and conscious choices. Would they follow in the steps of
their master? Would they have the courage to make their own walk into the
“lion’s den”? Would they begin looking for and teaching the next wave of
disciples that God would provide for all their needs? Yes, they were able to do
all of this, but only with a heart full of gratitude toward their heavenly
Father. The Wedding Garment “When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.” (Matthew 22:11,12). This parable teaches that one of the final tests of the Gospel age harvest is a lack of gratitude for the wedding garment. Jesus comes into the feasting room and sees someone not wearing a wedding garment. Jesus calls him “friend” which, according to John 15:15, means Jesus had taught him harvest truth. But the wedding garment represented something more powerful than knowledge; it represented gratitude for, and trust in, the blood of Jesus for his justification. The man without a garment is speechless. He has no excuse, because he knows the Lord has judged him rightly. Jesus then tells his servants to bind him and cast him into outer darkness. The lesson is that we should watch and pray that we will not enter into the temptation of taking the blood of Jesus for granted.
With a proper heart condition, Jesus protects us from
the seductive power of pride in ourselves and in our own accomplishments. By
maintaining a grateful heart and thanking God for providing his son to guide us,
we keep our minds in the proper state. The Prodigal Son “And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.” (Luke 15:27-29).
The older brother’s anger demonstrated a complete
lack of gratitude for the blessings and the favor of his father. His younger
brother’s repentance and subsequent acceptance by the father should have
produced heartfelt thankfulness and praise in the older brother, but instead we
see jealousy and rage, revealing his true character. The older brother
represents the Pharisees who saw themselves as righteous and good, the younger
brother represents the publicans and sinners, those less careful with the favor
of the Father, who learned their lessons the hard way but who were accepted by
Jesus through faith, and through gratitude. Jesus used this parable to show the
Pharisees the position that they had created for themselves, partly through
their lack of gratitude. The Rich Man and Lazarus “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. … And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:25,31). The preconceived notions and the political agenda the Pharisees tightly grasped prevented them from feelings of gratitude toward their heavenly Father. This is one lesson Jesus taught in the attitude of the rich man in this parable. In the Jewish Scriptures, Moses and all the prophets pointed to a future Messiah through rich prophetic language but the Pharisees’ eyes of understanding were closed partly through a lack of gratitude. At the end of the Jewish age, Jesus came to his own brethren, but they rejected him because of their spiritual pride (John 1:11). This was a danger at the end of the Jewish age, and we are warned of the same danger at the end of the Gospel age (2 Peter 3:3,4). All of God’s people should be watching and praying with a humble heart sanctified with an attitude of gratitude. The Pharisee and the Publican “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:11-13).
While both the Pharisee and the publican expressed
gratitude, the Pharisee demonstrated confidence in himself while the publican
admitted his defeat. The words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount were surely
ringing in the ears of the disciples: “Blessed are they who mourn,” “blessed are
the meek,” and “blessed are the pure in heart.” In this parable, Jesus taught
that gratitude, if alloyed with pride, is a pitfall, and a grave danger to
spiritual growth—but if properly exercised, it points us in the right direction
to “connect the dots” of study, prayer, and the application of the truths of the
gospel. The Lessons for Us Jesus taught his disciples gratitude through his words and by his example. Gratitude helped them remember the source of all their blessings. Gratitude kept their focus on God and away from their own accomplishments. Jesus was about to empower them with miraculous gifts that would establish the church at the beginning of the Gospel age, but first he grounded them with the appropriate attitude. As the Logos, Jesus saw how pride destroyed Lucifer’s heart, so Jesus provided his disciples with every tool they needed to withstand the encroachments of pride. Jesus closely watched over his disciples after his resurrection and continued to give them the experiences they needed to develop in righteousness. Some arrived at the point where all they could do was appreciate God and his wonderful providences in their lives. For example, gratitude was surely on Paul’s mind while he, seemingly helpless, walked out to be beheaded in Rome. Gratitude was surely on Peter’s mind when he readied himself for his own crucifixion. And gratitude must have been Stephen’s great emotion as he lifted up his eyes unto heaven and asked God to forgive his executioners. The book of Acts recounts a beautiful vignette of the early church’s application of gratitude. It shows that even under terrible persecution, gratitude led to praise and to the strength of the church: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:46, 47). In the parable of the wedding garment, the man was not allowed into the wedding feast because he did not have the appropriate garment. That means he must have taken off his garment after entering the feast. Perhaps he only “knew” about his faith but didn’t “feel” it. This should be a lesson for us. When we value something highly, we will treasure it as well as the giver. Gratitude and trust in the blood of Jesus for our justification should be found at the beginning and at the ending of our faith. If we are wise like first footstep followers of the master, we will be developed and strengthened by our gratitude to God through our entire consecrated life. |