Matthew 23 gives us an amazing display of the wrath of Jesus against the hypocrisy of the pharisees. This seems to be clear evidence of his deity because he displays the holiness of God and his hatred for sin. I think passages like this one also show us what a fearsome God he is, and how amazing his grace is in forgiving sinners.
So how can we not be like the pharisees? I have to admit that I can see some of the same things in myself that Jesus condemns the pharisees for. They looked for loopholes to get around the law, and they thought they were keeping it by paying attention to a few things but ignoring the most important things. They were also professionals at putting up a good religious front when inside they were like graves full of dead men's bones.
All I can say is thank God for his amazing grace because I don't think I can claim to be any better than these pharisees.
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Ditto and Amen.
ReplyDeleteThe root of the pharisees evil is their lack of love. The very things that describe them: impatient, envious, rude, prideful, easily provoked, etc.. are the very things that love is against in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. In order to not be like the pharisees we must ask God to give us love for Him and for each other. Christ leaves us a wonderful example in Luke 13:34: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! Even when we act like the pharisees Christ is not only willing but eager to gather us unto Himself. All we have to do is let Him. Even though we may be guilty of the same sins as the pharisees we are not them as long as we repent and continually strive toward loving each other as Christ loves us.
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