Divine Dining March 17, 2026 Devotional

LUKE 11:43 | ⁴³ Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces.

What is the attraction of excessive scrupulosity, of adding many excessive rules to God's basic instructions? For one thing, it makes the religious life too easy! Rather than emphasizing the great spiritual challenge of neighbor love, of mercy, of generosity, or of forgiveness, it focuses attention on minor pieties that are fairly straightforward to do. The deeper virtues challenge and humble us. The minor pieties give us the false and prideful sense that the religious life is a set of manageable tasks. As they are checked off our humility dissipates and gives way to self-assurance, independence, and pride. We can manage our own holiness apart from the ongoing presence and power of God and He is reduced to the role of previous rule giver and not present partner. The pride of the Pharisees is revealed in their desire to be seen in the seats of honor at public events.

Man made religion builds human pride not humility. Do you agree?

Gracious God,

Take away any illusions I have that I can manage my own spiritual development apart from You. Restore my humility and foster my utter dependence on Your grace and goodness.

Amen.