What the Bible says about Self-Importance
(From Forerunner Commentary)

Numbers 14:41-45 There was no mercy from God for this presumptuous sin. These people were warned. They were told explicitly that what they were doing was a sin, what would happen, and that God would not be with them. But they went anyway! They presumed to go up to the mountaintop. So another thing about presumptuous sin is that it is continuing proudly in the face of advice (and warning) to the contrary. What we see here is that presumptuousness can be rash on the one hand and quite premeditated on the other. But the constant concept behind these things is pride, arrogance, defiance, self-importance, and self-reliance. It is an ambitious "go get 'em" attitude—one is going to succeed in what you want to do, come hell or high water. No matter what happens, a person will to carry through on his plan—even if God Himself should say, "Don't do it!" Richard T. Ritenbaugh Presumptuousness Related Topics: Arrogance | Ignoring Warnings | Premeditation | Presumptuousness | Pride | Rash Sin | Rashness | Self-Importance

Luke 7:36-50 Simon's pharisaic sensibilities were shocked by the sinner's action (Proverbs 26:12)—and even more by Christ's attitude toward her. He was complacent and self-absorbed, and his self-righteousness manifested itself in pleasure with his own "goodness" and "importance" (Isaiah 65:5; II Corinthians 10:12). Although he invited Jesus to eat at his house, it was not to learn from Jesus or to honor Him, as his lack of effort to supply the traditional courtesy of water to wash His feet shows. Jesus could have regarded this serious breach of etiquette as a direct insult. Simon also shows Jesus no warmth or concern when He arrives at his house; in that day's culture, a polite kiss was appropriate in greeting. Neither does he pour oil on Jesus' head, another widespread custom among the Jews. The oil was a sweet or olive oil prepared to give off a pleasant smell, as well as to render the hair more smooth and elegant. His negligence of concern toward Jesus exposed Simon's true spiritual bankruptcy. Martin G. Collins Parable of the Two Debtors Related Topics: Complacency | Etiquette | Etiquette, Breach of | Hospitality | Hospitality, Lack of | Negligence | Negligence of Concern | Parable of the Two Debtors | Self Absorption | Self Centeredness | Self Righteousness | Self-Importance | Spiritual Bankruptcy

 

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