Week 19 - Playing to an Audience of One
Giuseppe Verdi, an Italian Romantic composer, is considered by many to be the most influential composer of operas of the 19th century. While his list of accomplishments is phenomenal, it is the story of Verdi as a young composer that I have always appreciated. It is said that at the end of his performances as the crowd would rise to applaud, Verdi never acknowledged the applause of the audience until he had looked to the box where his teacher sat to see his response. Appreciative of the crowd’s response, his overriding concern was how he had done in the eyes of his teacher.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day did just the opposite. They tended to look to the crowds to see how they appeared in their eyes. Their righteousness was a show played out before the eyes of the people in an effort to obtain their admiration, acceptance, approval, and applause. Like the eastern ascetic who sat on a prominent street corner of his city covering himself with dust and ashes, their goal was to impress others with their humility and devotion. In the case of this mystic, when sympathetic tourists would stop and ask for permission to take his picture, he would take the time to rearrange his dust and ashes to give the most impressive image of destitution and humility. That same game of pretense was played out by the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. They were constantly rearranging their dust and ashes to impress the world with just how righteous they were. The problem was that it was just a show, and Jesus wasn’t impressed.
Those of Jesus’ day had a unique way to call attention to their giving. While various scenarios have been proposed as to exactly how the scribes and Pharisees announced they're giving with trumpets, whatever the details, it must have been a show. That is what Jesus condemned. Their goal was to be seen and praised by others rather than be blessed by God. Like so many then and now, their priorities were backward.
What keeps the Christian’s priorities in check is his/her desire to be like the One who gave all. We give, believing our Father who sees all, rewards all. We believe that if we remember, God will forget, and if we forget, God will remember. We seek the blessings of God and not the applause of men. We believe we are playing to an audience of One.
—David Swanger