Jesus and the Pharisees.
It’s fair to say they were not the best of friends. It’s also fair to say Jesus did not have a problem expressing what his problem was with the Pharisees.
Get this though.
Why did Jesus spend so much words and efforts on folks evidently hell-bent on seeing Him as a nuisance who needed to be sorted … permanently?
Years later and Christianity is a huge religion worldwide with plenty of great examples of those who follow the Way. There is also, however, the hint in some areas that the very things Jesus had against religious rulers of His day could equally apply to us today.
There are behaviours that get a lot of attention in some church circles. From tithing to church attendance, adherence to church social norms that take on a standard of righteousness not always reflected in the life of Jesus (clothing and hair).
Cultural values do need to be respected to a degree, but when they are held as a standard that not even the gatekeepers can maintain, there’s a problem. When keeping the traditions is more important than justice and mercy, there’s a problem. When generations are turned away because of our preoccupation with the things that are minor to Jesus and His Kingdom, there’s a problem.
When keeping up appearances covers up for a lack of care for neighbours, compassion for the needy and a genuine desire to see God’s Kingdom come, there’s a problem.
Jesus saying the religious folks should sort out the inside first and that sorts the outside is a truth that continues to challenge me. External life should reflect internal passions. Such should be our drive to be pleasing to God that we are not putting barricades preventing people entering the Kingdom.
That’s not just an individual practice, that affects how we behave as a community.
It’s something I remember seeing in action in a community of believers who simply opened their doors to sharing their life with those who came from broken homes. Others criticised the ‘calibre’ of those who came in. It was a safe place, where there was no judging on people’s problems or pasts. It was a place where in the present God’s Shalom was experienced in people being accepted yet challenged to change by the grace of God.
So I reckon Jesus makes a big deal of highlighting where the Pharisees go horribly wrong to also make sure we don’t go horribly wrong. For when we get caught up with the external against the internal and tradition over Kingdom – there is a problem.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 