The Greatest Among You (Sermon from Matthew 23:1-11)

Like many of us, the Pharisees were concerned about titles and status. They wanted to receive the honor they felt they were due. But status and title are traps laid for us by the evil one. Jesus uses the Pharisees’ desire for honor as an introduction to seven “woes” that he pronounces upon them. Jesus was warning that their desire for greatness would lead to their ruin and destruction. So, if we want to avoid the fate of the Pharisees, we must allow Jesus to reshape the way we think about greatness.