"Those Pharisees"


INTRODUCTION
          The Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthian Church (I Corinthians 2:16) that “we have the mind of Christ.” In other words, at the very moment of our salvation we are given the Ultimate Resource available in the form of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God to transform us into the image of Christ or God Himself.
           We have pinpointed a serious problem within the Corinthian Church and the church of Jesus Christ today, and the reason many Christians fail to receive the abundant life of Jesus Christ to its fullest extent. Although we have received the Holy Spirit into our lives at the time of salvation, we have not allowed that same Spirit to renew our minds day by day. Therefore, we have not replaced our carnal, fleshly, self-centered thoughts and desires with those of God himself. We do not think like Christ. As a result, we do not talk like Christ, feel like Christ, or act like Christ.
Since our true identity is found only “in Christ” but we have not renewed our minds/hearts in Christ, we have replaced it with our self-designed false self. In other words we are imposters. We are masquerading.
 
PHARISEE EXAMPLE
          Let me present to you one fervent attempt by Jesus to disclose the false identity of the Pharisees, the religious leaders of His day. He wanted to strip their outer costume in order to expose their true, innermost hearts and souls. This is the only way the Pharisees with their hardened hearts might then receive the “covering” of God…to be clothed in God’s righteousness instead of self righteousness. Jesus probed below the surface of their outward, controlled behaviors used for “show.”
As you well know, we oftentimes learn particular outward patterns of behavior, conversation, dress, and mannerisms in order to either survive or prosper in this world. These may or may not truly reflect our inner selves; it depends. The Pharisees were, no doubt, outwardly “religious”…extremely, exceedingly religious. But the one million dollar question was this, “Did this reflect their inward character and devotion to God? Did this mirror their souls/spirits/hearts?” This is likewise the big question for us…today. And it demands an answer.
          Here is how Jesus attempted to go deeper, much deeper than the superficial “show.” Matthew 23:23 (NLT) - “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[g] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.” So although the religious leaders were truly obedient in God’s command to tithe (give 10% of their income) to the church, nevertheless Jesus called them “hypocrites.”
How could Jesus possibly be so…so straightforward if not even a little “over the top” in his indictment of those leaders in the church who actually donated 10% of their substantial income to the church? Because He was aware of the condition of their souls and hearts. He was able to discern their true inner selves, their genuine identities…and it was not a pretty sight. If you believe Jesus might have acted a little harshly in His accusations, remember this, these are the same men who would soon crucify Him, the perfect and innocent Son of God.
Jesus called them out regarding their true selves. The Pharisees did obey the strict laws, rules, and ceremonies of the Jewish religion, yet they sadly neglected the much weightier matters like “justice, mercy, and faith.” These three characteristics were much better indicators of their love for God and others deep within their hearts and minds.
          A few verses later, Jesus continued to expose their true inner spirits and also, at the same time, disclose their false façade (veneer) in Matthew 23:27-28, “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
          Yikes! This sharp critique may sound so “un-Christlike” if it was not for the fact that it was spoken by Christ Himself. But remember these four facts about the religious leaders of the day.
  1. I mentioned it previously. They were filled with envy and jealousy and hate…so much in fact that they murdered the Son of God.
  2. They were leading the masses of hurting people, who desperately needed God, astray in their faith.
  3. They were full of injustice, arrogance, and hatred. They were only “in it for themselves…for self-glory.”
  4. We know Jesus was perfect in love and truth. So when He spoke the hard truth, it always flowed from a heart of love. If most of us expressed it in such a straightforward manner, it would normally not emanate from a heart of perfect love but out of frustration, anger, or religious pride (“we are better than you” attitude).