Jesus greatest resistance throughout His ministry years was not from the Romans and their ungodly government, rather it was from the religious leaders of the day, namely the Pharisees. I have noticed that to this day, the same spirit that was evident in the Pharisees opposes the active work of Jesus. As the work of Jesus increases in the world through the active involvement of His body, Pharisees begin to attack it. I have observed some re-occurring themes when it comes to Pharisees (both in Jesus’ day and today).
Pharisees are self proclaimed keepers of the truth – they have a tightly defined system of beliefs about God. Anything that lies outside of that system of belief is immediately and vociferously attacked as from the devil. Because Jesus never seemed to adhere to their system of beliefs, He was proclaimed to be from the devil. They still demonize people who deviate from the accepted system of beliefs. Pharisees freely use the terms like “false teachers”, “snakes”, and “deceived” to describe anyone who would dare to disagree with them. They care more about the protection of their doctrinal systems than about people. To even question their pet doctrines is heretical to them. In a reality, the truth they proclaim is not God’s truth but their own. They may find scriptures that support some of their beliefs, but at the core, they hold to their own truth not God’s truth.
Pharisees are never wrong in their eyes – Since they are the “keepers of the truth”, they cannot be wrong. While they profess to love truth, what they really love is themselves and their projected image of God. Since they cannot be wrong (they will find the scriptures to PROVE they are not wrong), anyone who disagrees must be wrong.
Pharisees refuse to humbly and honestly search the scriptures – Pharisees take a great deal of pride in their adherence to the scriptures. However, they come to the scriptures with their own set of paradigms. In so doing, they frequently make the scriptures say something they were never meant to say. They will allow and even promote shoddy exegesis of the scriptures if it will further their own agenda. They are not “learners” due to the fact that they have God “figured out”. They resist learning from and embracing the pattern of Jesus as revealed in the Gospels. Rather than interpret the scriptures through the life and pattern of Jesus, they attempt to fit Jesus into their belief system. Where He does not fit, He is ignored
Pharisees love judgment – Since they have all truth and are the epitome of godliness in their own eyes, they eagerly await the judgment of those that do not hold to their accepted belief system. They profess that their judgment is motivated by love, but their attitude displays anything but love and graciousness. Sinners MUST be punished and the earlier God punishes the sinner the better it will be. As I stated earlier, they are quick to label anyone who disagrees with them as deceived. They have a clear line of demarcation – people are either “in or out”.
I work with a great deal of pagans as well as new believers in Jesus. The Pharisees always make my work more difficult. Instead of bringing healing, they cause pain. Instead of bringing freedom, they bring bondage. Instead of bringing life they bring death. Instead of encouraging vulnerable learning and curiosity about the scriptures that depends on the Holy Spirit’s teaching, they dictate rigid dogma. At every turn, they resist the work of Jesus.
I believe that we live in the most exciting time in history. Unfortunately like in Jesus' day, the greatest resistance will come from Pharisees. I expect that as God's plan continues to unfold, the Pharisees will beome more vocal and vehement. Be encourage though, their poisonous doctrines will not prevail against the work of Jesus!!
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2 comments:
In a church setting I can feel in my heart if I am being loved or judged. Positive Godly changes have only happened in my life as a result of love, never judgement.
I can relate and agree with most of what Glen and anonymous wrote; I found that Jesus loves the Pharisees; let's put it this way; I was a Pharisee and so was Saul who became Paul; Jesus delights in making disciples out of Pharisees. Granted they put up and arose the biggest resistance to Jesus' ministry even today; yet some become Pharisees not out of "a desire to be self proclaimed keepers of the truth" but out of a sincere desire to fully follow Jesus; they become prisoners to a tightly defined system of beliefs about God. and become just like Glen discribes them.
Sitting under such teaching can produce pharisees out of the most sincerest of Christians; I think the key difference is in the phrase "learners"; If one does not keep a desire to learn why scriptures don't fit into their own paradigms; then they remain trapped in the Pharisee jail that keeps so many good Christians from walking in love instead of the judgement that consumes them; yet to those who do not ignore the scriptures that don't fit; as they seek to understand why; they find the door and escape from the jail of Pharisee; see the light like Saul and become some of the best disciples for Jesus the church has ever known.
Although it is easy to judge the Pharisees of today; I find it is the heart of Jesus to pray for our brothers and sisters who are trapped in prison of misconception of the truth; some will turn; some may not;
While many have a heart for the lost; I tend to have a heart for the Pharisee; the church goer; the believer who for whatever reason is trapped in lies which they have twisted to be truth to them; I want them free; but how do you convince someone who insist they are right that they are wrong? May God help the pharisees turn and be true disciples of Jesus and may the years of hurt they have caused be healed in both their hearts and in those they have led astray;
the pharisees have messed up the church; may this be the year God heals it and puts it back in proper order.
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