Responding to the Crowds

People were talking about Jesus. As a result, so many followed Him “that they were stepping on one another.” Seeing the crowds, Jesus turned to His disciples and gave them key principles to remember.

First, he warned them against hypocrisy. Jesus knew the temptation would be strong to focus on crowds and do whatever it took to please people. But this emphasis would lead to dangerous trends: acting in ways to get attention or satisfy their desires…pretending to be what they were not…saying what they thought the crowds would expect.

Instead, we must seek to please God and live according to His Word. We can’t be worried about the reactions of the crowds. Nor must we be willing to compromise our beliefs or embrace lifestyles and actions we know to be wrong.

Jesus knew that trying to please people would inevitably lead us into trouble: going places we should not go…saying things we should not say…and doing things we should not do. We can be tempted to please the crowds in order to feel successful. We can try to satisfy them in hopes of earning a better living. But Jesus wanted us to realize that He could meet all of our needs—and we always should trust in Him.

It is important to keep an eternal perspective, ready to declare what Jesus has done for us, regardless of the immediate consequences. God will reward those who have this uncompromising attitude.

Instead of trusting popular opinions to shape our perspectives and behaviors, we must rely upon the Holy Spirit to guide us. We always need to be conscious of the presence of the Spirit in our lives, staying in tune with Him as we sense His guidance and warnings.