Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."
Mark 12:38-40

When Jesus hung on the cross, do you think He was worried about looking spiritual? Do you think He died a torturous, humiliating death because He wanted respect? Of course not! If it was respect He wanted, He would have avoided the cross. If He wanted to look spiritual, He would have hung out with the scribes and Pharisees, reciting long-winded prayers, sitting in the best places at feasts, and wearing long robes to look impressive. But Jesus didn't come to impress; He came to serve. Love motivated Jesus.

You see, everything Jesus did, He did out of love. He wasn't playing games, and He wasn't "playing church." When He hung on the cross, the only thing on His mind was the sinner who would be saved from an eternity of darkness. He was thinking not about His reputation, but about the prodigal He loved even more than His own life. He was thinking about you.

As believers, it's easy to fall into the trap of wanting to "look spiritual." For the religious people in Jesus' time, this became their primary concern. When the crowds started talking about John the Baptist, the scribes and Pharisees were impressed by the buzz they were hearing, and went to the wilderness to see him. But Jesus asked them in Matthew 11:7-8, rhetorically, "What did you go out in the wilderness to see, a reed that was shaken in the wind or somebody dressed in king's apparel?" See, these religious people didn't really want to hear the Gospel that John was preaching; they wanted to look good in front of their constituents. They weren't looking for a humble messenger of truth; they were looking for a popular preacher with a dapper sense of style.

Why do you go to church? Is it because the pastor or preacher is decked out and all the rage? Or because you want to look godly? Or because of the rich people that also attend? I hope not. Those were the very motivations of the people who plotted to kill Jesus -- not worship Him. Our attendance at a church service, our ministry to each other, our outreach to the world -- these things should not be motivated by what people will think of us, but by love. We should worship and serve the Lord because we love Him even more than we love our own lives. We shouldn't be thinking about our reputation or stature; we should be thinking about Him.

Let me encourage you today to stop worrying about what people think of you, and fall in love with Jesus. Don't be concerned about sitting in the "best places" in order to be seen by others. Don't worry about looking spiritual. Simply "love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). Truly, let love be your motivation.