What Is Detestable in God's Sight?

Luke 16:15b: "What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight."

Luke 16 is another combative exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees . . . . The Pharisees had been using their positions of religious influence to attain prominent places in the social hierarchy in the Palestine community, and Jesus continued to rebuke their self-aggrandizement under the guise of religion. Because Jesus was challenging the Pharisees' power and prestige in the region, the Pharisees "opposed (Jesus) fiercely . . . waiting to catch Him in something He might say" in order to incriminate Him (Luke 11:53-54).

In the early part of Luke 16, Jesus shared the parable of the shrewd manager to teach a valuable lesson to His hearers, namely that material wealth should be used to bless others and further the kingdom of God. He then chided the Pharisees for their love of money by telling them that only one master could be served . . . and the choice was either God or their love of money. Money per se was not necessarily the inherent problem with the Pharisees; rather it was the insatiable quest for power and prominence that fueled their craving for material wealth. The Pharisees had demonstrated in Luke 14, that they craved the seats of honor at social events; thus, they revealed that their true worship was themselves. Jesus admonished them by telling these religious leaders that they could never be entrusted with the "true riches" of heaven, because they consumed early riches to satisfy their own lust for prominence.

The condition of the Pharisees was exacerbated by their attempt to justify their behavior in the eyes of men. To be sure, the Jerusalem community elevated these religious leaders and were impressed with the accumulated wealth that these leaders were reaping from their pompous religious behavior. The Pharisees did not want to lose what in their minds was a "good thing." They feasted on the attention and power that came with their positions, and they used their positions to control their communities so that they could continue to wield the power that they had acquired.

Jesus knew the hearts of the Pharisees and told them that they sinned by using their positions to "justify (themselves) in the eyes of men" (16:14). Of course the Pharisees hated such a rebuke as this, and they responded with "sneers" at Jesus. Jesus was not willing to retract His statement, but told them that despite the venerated positions that they had acquired in the community, God knew their true hearts. Jesus then told them that these religious positions of pomp and power were utterly detestable to God. Why? Because these Pharisees ultimately wanted people to worship them rather that the One True God. And because these Pharisees were consumed with themselves, they were unwilling to minister to others who truly needed help. These leaders could care less about others because their foundational purpose in life was their own self-adulation.

There is a good word for us here as we reflect upon the behaviors of the Pharisees. Even today, we find people who are striving for positions of power and influence. We also find that our culture's opinion of greatness is predominantly tied to wealth accumulation; the more one has financially, the more impressive a person is to his peers. Jesus is counter-cultural in that He tells us that our allegiance should be to God first, and we should see our material resources as a resource to be used to bless others who are in need. If we are willing to see ourselves as a conduit of blessing from the Lord, charged with ministering to others, then God says that we can be trusted with the eternal treasures that awaiting the faithful in heaven.

We must remember that it is not about us, but it is about our surrendering to Him as Lord and using what He has entrusted to us to further His kingdom for His glory.