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PHARISAICAL BEHAVIOR Every time I read Matthew 23 half of me is angry with those mean old Pharisees and half of me is afraid that I could have been among those mean old Pharisees. Pharisaical behavior is something I’d like to avoid, its nothing I ever want to be accused of, and if there is an opposite, I’d really like to run to it as fast as I can. Jesus gave us a fearsome image of pharisaical behavior in Matthew, Chapter 23. He said: 23: 3 they don’t practice what they teach. Jesus concludes this discussion with this endearing phrase: “Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?” (23: 33) Ever hopeful, longsuffering, and patient, Jesus offers some insight as to how a Pharisee might “escape the judgment of hell” when He said, “The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” At one time, the setting aside of our own self-importance for the sake of serving others in a Spirit led and often unsung manner, was emphasized where ever I went. The promise of humble service was always genuine and lasting joy. I often wondered, as I contemplated those messages, if it was possible to be joyful without unselfish love. It is a naturally human tendency to want to argue that we are not the Pharisees, those other people are. But I would like to suggest that the truth might not be so much either/or as both/and. What I mean to say is that instead of being godly or not godly, a Pharisee or not a Pharisee isn’t it more likely that we are all a combination of Pharisee and Christ, pride and love. We are all capable of yielding ourselves to God in a way that produces genuine acts of unselfish love and we are all capable of satisfying our ego needs at the expense of our brothers and sisters. In a recent message, Dr. Earl Baldwin, who happens to be one of my all time favorite speakers, said; “Modern Christianity is a personality cult.” I must tell you I was alarmed by that comment. Is it possible to “work” for God and for humanity not because we love but because we need? And if we allow that motive to go unchecked, then isn’t it also possible that soon we, “love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the most prominent seats.” Soon we, “enjoy attention.” Soon we are admired. Soon we depend on that admiration, like some depend on prescription pain meds. Then we start encouraging and then protecting that admiration. And then we have “a personality cult.” “Few things can breed insecurity faster than trying to maintain a position that we have gained by our own promotion. What God is building is not raised up by might or power. When we start to fear people leaving more than we fear God leaving, we have departed from the true faith… Self-seeking, self-promotion, and self-preservation are the most destructive forces to true ministry. Charismatic witchcraft is a pseudo-spirituality used to gain influence or control by wearing a super-spiritual mask. Those using this form of witchcraft will almost always think they have the mind of the Lord, and therefore conclude that the leadership are the ones in rebellion.” – from Overcoming Witchcraft by Rick Joyner Dustin Hoffman once asked Sir Lawrence Olivier why actors work so hard to perfect a craft that for so many never yields a substantial reward. Sir Lawrence never said a word in reply. Instead he smiled, placed his hands together and applauded. We do it for praise was his implication. That may be a fine motivator for an actor but is it an appropriate motive for serving God? Who alone is worthy of praise? Should we allow anyone to get in the way of praise and admiration reserved only for God? I’m no psychologist but it seems to me we are all just lookin for love, some more desperately than others. Once a needy person finds a group of people that look to him/her for leadership, he/she will find ways to hold on as if their very life depends on it. We never need to protect the work of God. He is capable of doing that all by Himself. If you are afraid to welcome new people it’s a sure sign you have stumbled into error. If you are afraid to welcome people that are different it is a sure sign you have stumbled into sin. The Gospel thrives when people of difference are not only welcome but actually sought after, nurtured, and loved. New people can pose no threat to your “position” or “authority” if those things are of God to begin with. A genuine work of God will never be destroyed by adversity or diversity. Love grows in the sunlight of authenticity. “We are writing these things so that our joy will be complete... if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” – 1st John 1: 4 – 7 Light in this context is authenticity, honesty (see verses 8 – 10). We need it to grow in God, and to grow in a love relationship with one another. Preachers always tell me I have a God shaped void that can only be filled by Jesus Christ. Well, it seems to me that I also have a people shaped void that can only be filled by a sincere, genuine, love relationship with you. If either one of us are busy trying to satisfy our ego needs in inappropriate ways or if our devotion belongs to someone who needs it for inappropriate reasons, the genuine article will have been traded for an illusion and when that happens nobody wins. We were created to be in love with each other, to live in a love relationship with each other. Genuine love will shy away when one of us prefers admiration. Admiration belongs to God and God alone. I want to know and be known for who I really am. I want God’s best for my life and I want it for yours. Strip away all the exteriors and we’re all pretty much the same underneath, the goth and the not so goth, we’re all hungry, hurting, and wanting desperately to belong. The miracle of the Gospel is that it’s open to “whosoever will.” If modern Christianity is indeed a personality cult then please lets agree right here and right now that gothic Christianity will be characterized not by its glitzy personalities but by its love for one another. There is one simple secret to avoiding the Pharisee trap, to being in love and staying in love. Here it is: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better then yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” – Philippians 2: 3 – 4 NIV God’s best to you all. Your little brother, |