Hebraic Musing – Do
we still have Pharisees in Our Churches?
Are there
Pharisees in our Churches? How would we
know? Or, how would we know if we are
one of them? To stir our thinking – would
we have also become frustrated with Jesus when we saw Him hanging out with
hookers, criminals and other morally sketchy people? I would probably have questioned him as well;
which puts me in the company of the Pharisees.
How about you? (BTW – The
Sadducees were even more self-centered!)
I’ve come to
realize that maybe I am one of the chief Pharisees? Here are some signs I have to watch for –
I like to show off; whether it’s the
number of FB friends, the car, the fashions, musical or other skills, etc. Do we find ourselves in church drawing focus on
ourselves instead of serving God and His people?
I tend to think my theology is better
than that of others. We know we are
right and they are wrong. When we
contend we are less sinful, more together, smarter and wiser, than the other
guy, or his church, then we might have become a Pharisee! Remember, the Pharisees insisted they were
right.
My love of money and the control of “My
Money” messes with my priorities. How?
Have you ever found yourself excited about what the money is doing for
you, and lost sight of what it could be doing for one of God’s mission
efforts? If so, we’ve crossed a line. Whoops, I forget who the money really belongs
to!
I have too little compassion, while
forgetting that Yeshua’s act of compassion is why I am a Christian. Jesus was
frequently moved with compassion, and he rebuked the Pharisees for their lack
of it. Matt 9:11-13 starts with “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his
disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?..." I too
often listen to the popular radio station WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) instead
of caring for others. I once defined
“others” as the 7 billion people in the world; and my pastor publically
corrected me by saying – “the definition of ‘others’ is 7 billion minus one.”
I expect others to do what I don’t always
do? Do I practice what I preach? Do I “Walk the Talk”? And not just at church but at home
also?!?! And as we teach, directly and
indirectly, I have to remember that those who teach are held to a higher
standard; so I have to teach with fear, trembling and humility.
I think of myself as closer to God than
those around me. In Matt 23:15 Jesus
admonishes the Pharisees – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he
becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” NIV
And then I remember Prov. 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Ouch!
And then I remember Prov. 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Ouch!
I become jealous of others in the
church and other churches. When
ministries of others are more effective, I feel a spirit of jealousy creeping
in; when I know I should be publicly praising them and celebrating with them. John the Baptist understood this challenge
when he admitted “He must increase, but I
must decrease.” John 3:30-31
NKJV What John did was to say it
out loud. He gave public recognition and
praise to Jesus.
While all this
is said in first person, it is my hope and belief we can all work to recognize
the pharisaical tendencies that creep into our thinking and hinder our witness.
Points to ponder
Interesting Bible study topic – “Jesus and the Pharisees”
Do we listen to WIIFM to often?
Does Pharisaical thinking diminish our effectiveness as witnesses for
Jesus Christ?
"Be on your
guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Luke 12:1
Yosef a.k.a. Joe Brusherd
March
14, 2017
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