Clothes of course do not make the man, but quite a few people think they do, and one of those that stand out the most in this instance is religious organizations, even some Evangelical churches are guilty of this. What may start simply as a suit and tie, which in itself is a sign of the world, many times ends up with an attire of hierarchy, one that is meant to show to all a greater closeness to God, or in a way to portray that the individual is in some way holier than those in the pews.
It’s a good trick, and it works almost all the time. It started of course with those who desired to wear the ephod that Aaron wore, (Exo. 28:29) but were born a few thousand years too late, but it still produces the desired effect, it shows those in the pew that they are common, and those that wear the special attire are not. I half expect many times I see this charade to hear a trumpet blowing in the background announcing the arrival of the “holier” one, and then a large bag of money being produced.
There is almost always the robe, bright in colors or a dazzling white, a sash of some type, and even a fancy hat or shoes. Some go as far to even carry a staff, supposedly to show that they are the shepherd of the flock. And of course, there is the entourage, those who diligently follow behind to address the commands or the needs of the one who claims to be more wise, more knowledgeable, more discerning. They can be found nearly everywhere, in almost any religious organization, and they help to ensure that the bondage to traditions are kept, that what they have determined, as the church “leaders,” takes precedence, many times even over the Word of God.
But the main reason for all this ridiculous garb in this age of grace is fear, even in its most minor form, for this fear virtually ensures that the weaker brothers and sisters will respect the supposed authority that these individuals are attempting to place on those who have not attained to this “high honor.” They are generally called bishops, cardinals, elders, many organizations have many different names, the leader of them all in the Roman Catholic cult is the pope, he gets the fanciest clothes. The problem I have with all this pomp? There is not one single place in the New Testament that says that any of this is to be done, and in the Old Testament, it was reserved specifically for the priesthood.
In case you didn’t catch that, that is the reason the Roman Catholics call them priests.
This insult is nothing more than an exhibition of pride by men who most generally have no fear of God whatsoever, and what little faith they may have is covered in robes of vanity and shepherd’s hooks that are not meant to lead, but to bring chastisement on all who will not bow before their supposed greatness. A suit and a tie on the man behind the pulpit I have little problem with, save for the fact that they believe that is what the masses want, but ask yourself this, that man up there with the fancy robe, and all those accolades behind him, can he preach a sermon that all will say glorifies the Lord while he is in a t-shirt and jeans, can he expound upon the Word of God accurately while not wearing the attire that is meant to draw attention to his so-called closer relationship to the Lord?
It’s a carnival show, it’s a stage play, and it works only on those who are not men of God, only on those that are either easily impressed, easily deceived, or frightened easily by fancy clothes. Hopefully, you are not one of them.
