So Close, and Yet So Far
Our young people at West Side are some of the best ever. Yes, I know I’m biased when I say that, but I do have evidence to back it up. About three months ago, a few of them approached me with a request. They had noticed that several people had expressed difficulty with daily Bible reading and wanted to set up a system for coming up with topical Bible readings and keeping one another accountable in their reading. They asked me if I could make a group chat that people could join and, if the members of the group chat would decide on a topic each week, whether I could come up with a list of 7 passages corresponding to that week’s topic that would serve as daily readings. Needless to say, I was thrilled to help, and we are on week 14 of reading through the Bible topically together.
This past week’s topic was overcoming pride (fitting since I couldn’t be prouder of them for coming up with this idea), and one of the passages we read together was 2 Chronicles 26. This chapter gives us an account of the reign of Uzziah, one of the kings of Judah. According to this history, Uzziah was a noble king for much of his reign and was also successful on the battlefield and the home front. However, after his strength had been built up sufficiently, Uzziah took the duties of the priesthood upon himself, an action that was prohibited by the Law of Moses. As punishment for his arrogance, the Lord struck Uzziah with leprosy, and the once great king spent his twilight years in exile while his son began to rule in his stead. In the final analysis, he is remembered by those who buried him not for the goodness of his early years, but for the leprosy that his pride had earned him in the end.
Uzziah spent his life on the verge of greatness in the eyes of both God and the people but was ultimately cut off from both due to his pride. Unfortunately, this is a story that has been repeated many times over the course of God’s relationship with mankind. Moses was not allowed to enter the land of Canaan because of his decision to solve a problem his way instead of God’s way (Numbers 20:2-13). King Saul was also guilty of assuming the powers of a priest, resulting in his first rejection by God as King of Israel (1 Samuel 13:8-15). The Jewish leaders who met with Jesus were unable to heed His warnings about their hypocrisy in part because of their pride in their Jewish heritage – even though it was God, Jesus’s Father who made their Jewish heritage worth something (John 8:39-59). All of these and many others have been near to godliness and have fallen short because of their pride.
It is a natural and admirable thing to want to be pleasing to God and become a good example to others. If that weren’t true, it is doubtful that the Holy Spirit would have inspired Paul to tell others to, “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). It is when the second half of that sentiment is lost that the admirable nature of such a desire is lost with it. Many have been on the verge of greatness before God and man but have fallen short because of arrogance and selfish ambition. May those who call themselves Christians never seek to lead others after their own way, but always be devoted to showing others the Way.
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” ~1 Corinthians 10:12
AUTHOR: Luke Tatum
