Don’t Follow the Crowd

The New Testament repeatedly warns us against using the world’s standards of right and wrong to judge people.  The next three incidents Matthew relates illustrate the importance of this.  Matthew 20:30-33 describes the first incident.  “And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.  And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.  So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.”

 In our world, there is a great deal of emphasis placed on “the greater good,” or what the most people will want.  As a result the needs and opinions of the minority tend to get overlooked in the effort to please the crowd.  After all, there were only two blind men, and they were not even part of the crowd.    The crowd considered their wishes as less important than those of the crowd and told them to shut up.  The parable of the lost sheep made the point of going after the individual lost sheep, and here we see Jesus applying the principle, addressing the concerns of the blind men rather than focusing on the desires of the multitude.  The crowd is made up of discrete individuals, and if we do not deal with their individual needs, it will fall apart. 

Matthew 21:1-11 describes Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem on palm Sunday.  “And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.  And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.  All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,  Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.  And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strowed them in the way.  And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” 

On Sunday, the entire crowd was celebrating Jesus coming as being a great blessing from God.  Four days later, on Thursday the same crowd was making fun of him and calling for his crucifixion.   God’s plan and Jesus’ message had not changed, but because some religious leaders played on their emotions, the people’s mood had changed.  When people’s attitudes are controlled by their emotions rather than by the Holy Spirit, they can never be depended upon.  The Holy Spirit does not change every time circumstances change, but emotions frequently do. 

The third incident is described in Matthew 21:12-16.  “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say?

And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” 

The religious leaders had gotten caught up in trying to make extra money by selling religious items in the temple.  Jesus pointed out that the purpose was not to make money, but to worship God.  Their efforts to make money actually detracted from true worship, making people think the church was just about getting money.    The religious leaders were upset that he ‘wasted’ his time on the poor and needy, instead of living up to their religious ideals and standards.  Jesus responded that real praise and worship comes from the heart, rather than from following some ideal or standard we have learned from others.    Far too often, those who are held in highest religious esteem have little concern for God.   

In all three situations, Jesus demonstrated the need to stay focused on pleasing God rather than simply going along with what others were doing.