Mark Photos - 12:38-40 - Sides

Mark 12:38-40 - Jesus Denounces the Scribes As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” It's easy to read this passage and think that Jesus is just talking about someone else. After all, I (or you) would NEVER be this kind of two-faced where our actions do not match our words. Reality is that we are all like the scribes Jesus condemns in this passage. It has taken me a long time but I have begun to come into a place where I recognize my shadow side when it pops up. I don't always see it but there's a more frequent recognition than there used to be. One thing that I have learned about my shadow self is that it is very much a part of me, not something alien. The sides are both part of a single whole just like the light and dark sides in this picture are both part of the single tree. Ultimately I think what Jesus is getting at is a consistency in all parts of our lives? Are we the same persons in our actions and values in our jobs, at home, at play, with friends, and so forth?