Christ warned the disciples who had been first called to follow Him, lest the same evil should be cherished among them. He saw that the weakness, the curse of the church, would be a spirit of self-righteousness. Men would think they could do something toward earning a place in the kingdom of heaven. They would imagine that when they had made certain advancement, the Lord would come in to 401 help them. Thus there would be an abundance of self and little of Jesus. Many who had made a little advancement would be puffed up and think themselves superior to others. They would be eager for flattery, jealous if not thought most important. Against this danger Christ seeks to guard His disciples.

Kristus advarede de disciple, som han havde udvalgt først, for at de ikke skulle nære de samme onde tanker Han så at det, der ville svække kirken og være en forbandelse for den, ville være en egen retfærdigheds ånd. Mennesker ville komme til at mene, at de selv kunne gøre noget for at fortjene sig en plads i Himmelen. De ville indbilde sig, at Herren ville gribe ind og hjælpe dem, når de var begyndt at gøre fremskridt. På denne måde ville selvet indtage en vigtig plads og Jesus kun en meget beskeden. Mange, der havde gjort lidt fremgang, ville blive opblæste og mene, at de stod hævet over andre. De ville være begærlige efter at blive smigret og misundelige, dersom der ikke blev taget tilbørlig notits af dem.