CHRIST CONFRONTS PRIDE

Christ’s Confrontation With Pride

Introduction

Today is Passion Sunday

The curiosity of the Jews toward Jesus now turns into open hostility and aggression

Illustration

Did you hear about the clever salesman who closed hundreds of sales with this line: "Let me show you something several of your neighbors said you couldn't afford.”

Transition

What was it that caused the Jews to hate Jesus Christ?

The answer is Pride

Pride is an inordinate love of self

The Jews could not hear, could not see, could not allow themselves to even consider what Jesus Christ was teaching

They had too much invested, they had to much pride in themselves

Pride is self love

Pride (self love) is at the heart of every sin

Pride is exalting our will above the will of God

Our Blessed Lord is not always gentle

Certainly not in his confrontation of evil and pride, consider how He responded to St. Peter’s pride:

“Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns."

Sermon

In our sermon today we are going to explore the pride of the Jews and contrast it to the humility of Christ

We will do this in the hopes that we can reflect on our own lives, identify the failures of the Jews in our passage with our own lives

Exegete Passage

Discussion concerns what it means to be Abraham’s Children...

v. 37 - Abrahman’s children () “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

but they seek to “kill me”

v.39 If you were the children of Abraham you wou