Walk in to any church and you will eventually bump into someone who loves Jesus, but is almost impossible to be around because they are so condescending.  This is always a puzzle.

Their condescension does not usually flow from ignorance of the doctrines of Christianity.  Condescension will usually use truth as its weapon of choice.  If it’s not ignorance what is it? And how do we keep from falling into the same trap?

The reality is that these people are so condescending because of why they love Jesus.  They love Jesus because He always wins his arguments and confounds the people who are trying to make him look stupid.  When Jesus shuts the mouth of the Pharisees or Scribes the heart of these disciples swell.  They fantasize about beating people in debates and being so sharp with their answers that people cannot help but be in awe.

They imagine themselves as Jesus, righteously defending truth against its enemies.  But they don’t love Jesus, they love winning arguments.  They love making people look stupid.  And Jesus fits their mold perfectly.

They miss the fact that they were never to first identify with Jesus in his interactions with his opponents.  They are to identify with Jesus’ opponents.  They are the ones that have opposed Jesus.  Instead of seeing the subject of Jesus’ confrontations as instructive, they see them as a principle to get better at debate.

Ironically, they have become the Scribes and Pharisees that Jesus so deftly refutes.  And we are all capable of this same blindness when we love winning arguments more than listening to Jesus.  Someday when we stand before Jesus my hope is that we would love Him for saving us from our self-rightousness, instead of self-righteously thinking we are just like Him.