Perhaps you have heard the saying, “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” That phrase is used to state the obvious: what you have just been told is a bold-faced lie. I just read this morning about someone who made a bold-faced lie.
It is probably a familiar story/Scripture to many of you. The wise men has followed the star and it took them to Jerusalem. There they inquired about the star and asked a question that set a lot of folks on high alert: “Where is the Messiah to be born?” (Mt.2:4). The one with the biggest knee-jerk reaction was Herod. Leave off the “knee” and you have the kind of individual he was. But he was far more. Power hungry despot. Suspicious. Vengeful. Mad (as in crazy). Jealous. Words fail me to be able to truly describe how bad evil this man truly was.
So when he says to the wise men, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.“ (2:8), the words which flow off our tongue are “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” He had absolutely no intention of worshiping the Messiah, except on the edge of a sword. (2:16-17)
Bob Dylan once sang “You Gotta Serve Somebody.” (1979). Herod did…himself. We all serve/worship some one or some thing. It may not be as blatant a lie as Herod’s, but the failure to serve the Living, Triune God when we say we do truly echoes “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” At least Herod’s was blatant.
WHOM/what to you worship? Before you answer, please remember we have Someone who knows our every thought.
I choose to worship the Lord, to put Him first in my life.
Blessings, Bill!
Welcome to the club Martha.
I know… I KNOW… my life would be so much fuller, richer, complete… if and only if I would say NO to myself and Yes to Christ in everything. A constant struggle and constant tug-of-war at my time, my affection…. my worship.
Even as I sit here now typing, I have a 100 thoughts in my mind of how I think I need to be spending my time… and then I realize… If I truly belong to Christ…
The time does not belong to me.
What a great insight Ryan! All time, all of our life, truly belongs to Him.
Leave off the “knee” and you have the kind of individual he was.
Ain’t that the truth. Preach it.
Thanks Linda. I have a weird sense of humor sometimes and often people don’t “get” it. I’m glad you did. 🙂
BTW, I love Bob Dylans Slow Train Coming Album. I would love to say that I worship God with all my heart and all my soul, and put Him first in everything I do, think, say and the way I live. However, it’s not true, I want to, I really do, but I fall way short of that. Everyday, I have to work on it, everyday I fail. It is a constant battle, I do have some great moments in there, but many more failures than I want to see. God deserves all of my love, and all my heart, but He only gets it in pieces.
Honestly, I have never listened to the album. I didn’t like him as a “folk rock” singer so I never took the time to listen to this album. I just know he had that song. 🙂 but for your other comments, I can totally come alongside you Gail. I have the best of intentions but fall short on a daily basis. I am grateful for God’s grace.
Great thoughts, as always, Pastor Bill!
Thank you Cheryl.