September 28, 2026
Pretense - Part 1
Luke 14:1
09/28/2026
1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of
a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him
carefully. (ESV)
As we continue to look at the Christian life and the
perseverance of faith, this week we pray:
Lord, we implore You, grant Your people grace to
withstand the temptations of the devil and with pure
hearts and minds to follow You, the only God; through
Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
The temptations of the devil, the world, and our own sinful
flesh are simple. When the serpent tempted Eve, he held out the
promise, ``you shall be like God.'' From that point on, everyone
believes they are above God's law. The rules do not apply to
them because they are special.
Our Gospel lesson this week, a healing miracle recorded by
Saint Luke, shows an example of the arrogance and pretense of the
religious leaders of Jesus' time. Today the arrogant skeptics,
the pretentious leaders, those who claim to be more intelligent
than the average, show the same sin of pride.
``One Sabbath, when [Jesus] went to dine at the house of a
ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.''
Jesus was invited to dine with the Pharisees, not because of His
love and compassion, but because the Pharisees were trying to
discredit Him. They believed they were more religious than this
Rabbi who taught that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
May our Lord grant us faith which humbly accepts His good
gifts of forgiveness and life everlasting. Amen.