Beware the Mob - Psalm 34:8

In today’s Bible reading*, we see the religious leaders’ influence over their people. People who had cheered Jesus’ arrival just a few days earlier are now calling for His head today. How does this happen?

One cannot overstate the influence of peers and leaders over the decisions we make. In Jesus’ day, the religious leaders were jealous of Jesus’ popularity. He didn’t do things as they did. He even questioned their ways of doing things as they questioned His ways of doing things. And because they felt threatened, the religious leaders colluded with government officials to have Jesus executed for baseless accusations. (Mark 15:11, 13-14)

As I typed this in 2020, the US Senate was beginning the Impeachment hearing for the President. This was the third Presidential Impeachment I have known in my lifetime. And this is unlike the others in so many ways.

I will not make this a political post. But I will say that the influence of some popular political leaders with an agreeable “mainstream” media and other “elite” individuals in Hollywood made this sham what it was.

For the first time in our Nation’s history, a US President was impeached by the US House with charges that in no way approach the seriousness imagined by the Framers of the US Constitution. The Framers set the bar very high for a reason. Impeachment is a big deal. And here, for the first time, a duly-elected US President might have been thrown out of office simply for having policy differences with a (slight) majority political party (and a handful of unelected State Department bureaucrats), and asking the Judicial Branch to rule on unconstitutional subpoenas.

Now, I will not draw messianic implications to Donald Trump. He is not the messiah. but it’s important to see similarities for the falsely accused.

Application

The main application point is that the crowds were given “Fake News” and they acted on it, even when it contradicted what they knew to be true.

As you live your life and see things portrayed in the news media, commercials, and talk with friends and family, it’s crucial to ask if what you’re hearing is the truth. It may be Fake News. Yes, “mainstream “journalists” and Hollywood stars don’t always tell the truth. Church leaders don’t always tell the truth either.

So before sharing things on social media, spend a few seconds considering is this really true? Who will be helped or hurt by what you post? And most importantly, will God be glorified by sharing this information you have received?

Let’s aim for truth. Let’s aim for glorifying God.

And let’s pray for our country! May God reveal the truth, regardless of the political party. And let’s prosecute the liars and deceivers. Regardless of the political party.

* Today we are reading Mark 15.

This devotional was originally published on January 19, 2020.

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