Day 174: Crowd Mentality

Mark 15:1-20; 1 Kings 10; Hosea 11:12-12:14

The chief priests tell the crowd what to say. Pilate wants to please the crowd. No one in this story is really thinking for themselves or standing up for what is right. The crowd is being told what to do and Pilate is completely under the control of the people. Yes, Jesus had to die in order to save the world, but the way people act in this story, I think seems to be a significant thing. Today, the same "crowd mentality" is strong. People believe what they are told and do what they think will make them most acceptable to others. What has happened to standing up and standing out?

Everyone, everywhere had heard about Solomon, his wisdom and his riches. He was humble at the beginning and so God was able to bless him. But this story isn't really about how God can make us rich (though he could), it is more about what God can do when we are usable by him.

In Hosea, God is still going off about Israel and Judah. God says that he is "faithful and holy." I think one of the things that bothers me from time to time is that we sing so much worship music about ourselves: God help me, give me faith, I will worship, etc. One thing that I think we need to focus on more is who God is. There is a new worship song (well, I don't know if it is actually new; it's new to me), that just focuses on who God is and how powerful he is: The Great I Am. It talks about the mountains shaking before him, the demons run and flee at the mention of his name, there is no power in hell, or any who can stand before the power and the presence of the Great I Am! Then the chorus just sings: Hallelujah, Holy Holy, God Almighty, the Great I Am, who is worthy, none besides thee, God Almighty, the Great I Am. It is so awesome. I think there is power in realizing that our relationship with God is not about us really. It is about God.

Then, later in Hosea, it says that people say to themselves "I'm rich! I earned it all on my own without committing a sin!" The truth is, just like Solomon, all of what we have comes from God and is his. When we start thinking that we did it on our own, then we ARE sinning, because we are taking credit away from the faithful and holy God that gave it to us.