Don't Reject the Purpose of God
The purpose of God isn't for you to be the spiritually greatest. This was the religious leader. Jesus wants you to be more like the tax collector.
When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John.
but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him
Luke 7:29-30
Those who knew they were far from God got it.
Those who thought they were close to God missed it.
Let Luke 7:30 haunt you.
These religious leaders rejected the purpose of God for themselves.
But the tax collectors understood the purpose of God for themselves.
The purpose of God?
To be the least.
The religious leaders didn’t want to be the least. They saw themselves as the greatest. They, in their not so humble opinion, were the greatest spiritual people and everyone should be like them.
Church leader, be more like the tax collectors.
Those who realize their purpose isn’t to be the greatest, but to be the least.
Lead the church to be the least as well.
And you’ll find a lot more of those far from God stream to you to find God.