These men knew the Scriptures. They were trained, respected, and confident in their position. Yet when the Living Word stood in front of them, they couldn't recognize Him. Why? Because their trust was in their equipment.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5
We all carry tools we’ve picked up on our journey: our knowledge, experience, training, or even our ministry routines. These things aren’t inherently wrong. But when we lean on them instead of leaning on the Lord, they become stumbling blocks instead of stepping stones.
The Pharisees weren’t evil because they studied Scripture or upheld tradition. The problem was their confidence had shifted. Their identity and authority were no longer grounded in a relationship with God but in their role, their robes, and their rules.
The apostle Paul had once been one of them. But after encountering Jesus, he wrote:
“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more… But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” — Philippians 3:4,7
Paul saw it: trusting in our qualifications, knowledge, or even our past faithfulness can keep us from present dependence. In the Kingdom, being well equipped is not wrong—but trusting in our equipment rather than the Equip**per** is.
So let’s ask ourselves:
- Are we walking by faith today, or by familiar tools?
- Are we listening for the Spirit, or leaning on our past experiences?
- Are we resting in relationship or relying on reputation?
God’s strategic will isn't revealed to the most “qualified”—it’s revealed to those who trust Him enough to follow, even when they feel unequipped.
May we become people who lay down our pride, our platforms, and even our preparedness to walk in radical dependence on Jesus.
Let us not be like the well-equipped who miss the One they’ve been waiting for. Instead, let us be like the child who says, “I can’t do this without You, Lord.” Because in His presence, that confession becomes our greatest strength.