Matthew 22:15-16 (ESV Strong's)
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.
Don’t be Influenced by the Faces of the Crowd
The above passage is the beginning of the Pharisee’s attempt to trip up Christ in regard to paying taxes to Caesar. These religious leaders were “sage” like and they thought they knew everything. They thought they could trip up the Son of God ... as though He was a mere man ... to them He was. The interesting note in the above passage is the respect these religious leaders show Jesus. They make a point of saying that we “know” (very “sage” like) that “you do not care anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.” There is no doubt that this could have been said sarcastically, with the emphasis on the “you do not care” part. But, it is better to understand they simply did see that Jesus was never swayed by the “appearance” of others. The Greek word for “appearance” used here is, prosōpon. It is a combination of two word and, in essences, means Jesus was not swayed by the facial expressions of others. When Jesus taught, He did not change His message simply because the crowd in front of Him changed the countenance in disapproval. Notice, in contrast, how the religious leaders acted and responded:
Matthew 21:26 (ESV Strong's)
But if we (the religious leaders) say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
Matthew 21:46 (ESV Strong's)
And although they (the religious leaders) were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
The crowd often feared the Pharisees. But the Pharisees, on many occasions, feared the crowd. The were always worried about the countenance of the people. They would, in the end, turn the crowd against Jesus:
Matthew 27:15-20 (ESV Strong's)
The Crowd Chooses Barabbas
Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
Jesus was a leader who was not persuaded or influenced by the appearance of man. This might be one of the single most damaging aspects of today’s leaders. As we watch the leaders in our land at the highest level, they are often persuaded by the “crowds.” They look at the appearance of man and change their course, mid-stream. Jesus was the Son of God and based His life on Truth. He was truth (John 14:1-6). As leaders, we can give into the appearance of the crowd, or stand for truth. Jesus was crucified by a riotous crowd, lead by the political religious leaders, because He stood for truth. Real leaders stand for truth and are not swayed away from it by the shaming of a crowd.
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