Pretend Worship!

“The soldiers knelt down and pretended to worship Him!”

Matthew 27:29b – Contemporary English Version

The New Testament reveals things about worship that are worthy of  imitation but not the “pretend worship” of the soldiers as they mocked Jesus on the way to the Cross.

This is indeed a strange scene. Why would the soldiers even bother to “play” with Jesus like a cat would play with a mouse? There is no indication that the Roman soldiers had sensed any offense from Jesus.

Perhaps this scene occurred because of our need to be taught that there is a thing called “pretend worship.”

Pretend worship happens on the road to putting Jesus back on the Cross! Pretending to worship is one of the greatest temptations of a human. When other things are more important than Jesus, we pretend to worship Him. The opposite of “Pretend worship” is a totally encompassing experience that removes every competitor from the race. Falling down before Jesus is the natural response to seeing Him. If I worship Him in Spirit and in Truth I am captured by the experience.

Worshipping Jesus is the highest privilege of humanity. Time stops when I am standing exposed before the Creator of all the Cosmos and beyond. I cannot hide my imperfections from Him. He is the Great Physician and only when I show Him my wounded and “sin sick” heart can I know His healing touch!

“Lord, heal me. Let my corruptions be made incorruptible by your eternal power. I run to You Lord with my weaknesses and fears. You are the only one who can help. I fall at Your feet to worship You because Your feet are holier than the purest and most holy thing on earth!”