Matins Devotion: March 31, 2025

Mark 12:1-12

In Matthew 23, Jesus notes that the Pharisees say to themselves, “if we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.” This is, of course, always the way the prideful heart looks at the horrors of history. “If I’d lived in the antebellum south, I would have opposed slavery.” “If I’d lived in World War 2 era Germany, I would have opposed the Holocaust.” And so on.

But the truth is that the same pride compelling you to think this way will always lead you to participate in those atrocities because pride commands the dehumanization of those you need to be below you, the dehumanization of those pride has deemed your enemies. And this is why, in Mark 12, Jesus refuses to let the Pharisees tell themselves these pious-sounding lies. No, you wouldn’t have been better than your fathers. You are your fathers. You’re part of the same story, one that escalates with you dehumanizing the Son of God by taking His life, treating Him like a bag found on the side of the road that you can tear apart to steal whatever is inside.

Don’t be like the Pharisees. Don’t listen to the lies of your pride. Don’t say that you would have treated Christ any differently had you lived in His day. You live in His day now and still war against Him with your sins. So repent and seek refuge in the arms of the Savior who shows mercy even to His murderers. Look to Christ and see that you don’t need to rob Him of the inheritance He has already given you, the inheritance that poured out from His veins at Calvary.

Your sins are forgiven. Once you were unworthy. Now you are worthy. In the cross and empty tomb, the Son of God gave you His Father’s vineyard. Let your pride die beneath the feet of Jesus Christ. He has given you a far greater treasure than pride ever could. He’s given you the very arms of God.