Luke 20:9-26
And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent. (Luke 20:26 ESV)
Have you ever tried to argue a point only to have someone say something so incredibly superior to your view that you have to shut up and remain silent in deference to their superior rhetoric? That is exactly what happened to the Jewish religious elite one day when they tried to argue with Jesus. The simple truth is that lost people don't think like Jesus.
It takes a work of God for the human mind to begin to think in a different way. It takes the infusing of a new perspective, and a life-giving transformation. Many of the Pharisees wethe incapable of this, and so they thought their petty squabbles over inconsequential religious triflings would stump Jesus. No, he always had a superior stance.
When I think about this story it gives me pause to stop and look and my own ridiculously religious nature. It is something I have to fight against. It is a challenge.
God is taking me in new directions in my pursuit of Him. Christ has called me to abandon the petty arrogance and wayward assumptions of things that don't matter. And the Holy Spirit is leading me into a place of a reinvigorated emphasis on what is important—namely loving people and exalting Jesus.
Does that mean I won't feel elite or superior? Of course not, I know my ridiculous inclinations. But I pray that he will help. And on those days that I feel truly stumped I will have to stop and acknowledge that Christ is at work in me to change or teach me.