America just elected a narcissist to be our president. This is what our culture values. Self-promotion, without regard to validity, is rewarded. Celebrities are worshiped just for being celebrities. (If they have some talent too, so much the better. It’s easier to justify the adoration.)

And everyone wants to be that worshipped celebrity. Kids are learning to seek likes and followers more than friends and genuine relationships. Getting seen in a selfie from Rome is more valuable than experiencing a trip to Rome.

This kind of clamoring after the power of fame was present in Jesus’s time as well. The main perpetrators were the leaders of the church. They enjoyed celebrity and the fawning worship and power it brought them.

That’s why they hated Jesus so much. For one thing, Jesus was gaining His own fame, stealing their power. But even worse, He was preaching things that turned their power structure upside down. Jesus said the last shall be first. As people who thought of themselves as first class, they did not like that one bit. Jesus taught that the command to love God and love other people summed up the entire law, which basically rendered moot the laws the church leaders been using to manipulate and control the people. Jesus taught about our chance to have a personal relationship with God, which pushed the church leaders out of the picture. Jesus lived and taught humility, and the world hated Him for it.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.” (Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭3,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Jesus modeled this verse for us and expects His followers to go and do likewise.

Dear God, please forgive the times when I seek to feel important instead of seeking to love others well. Forgive me also for the times when I give my allegiance to people who don’t love you. If someone I’m following is not pointing the way to you, remind me that I’m on the wrong path.