"While the Israelites were in the wilderness,
a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. . .
Then the LORD said to Moses,
'The man must die.
The whole assembly must stone him
outside the camp.'"
Numbers 15:32,35
His hand was useless, hanging limply by his side, unable to perform even the simplest of tasks. Suddenly, Jesus was there. "Stand up in front of everyone." The man looked around. Is He talking to me? the man wondered.
Meanwhile, the Pharisees were lurking in the shadows, watching Jesus intently, hoping He would heal the man so they could nail Him for working on the Sabbath. Jesus, however, knew their thoughts and intentions.
"Which would be lawful; to do good or evil, to save life or to kill?" No one knew what to say, but anger burned within the heart of the Healer as He surveyed their stubborn hearts. "Stretch out your hand," Jesus said, and then He restored the man's hand to normal. It was then that the Pharisees knew they must kill Jesus, and they plotted how they could do such a thing. (Paraphrased from Mark 3:1-6)
Reading this Gospel account of the healing of a broken man, it's hard to understand why the Pharisees would be so zealous when it came to enforcing the Sabbath law. In the context of the Old Testament passage found in today's reading, however, it's easy to see why they might have become so obsessed with this pursuit. In their effort to protect people from the righteous wrath of God, the law grew to be more important than people.
I must be careful to avoid this same pitfall and myself become like the Pharisees in the way I think. In an effort to uphold God's standard, I could end up missing the point.
Sin
The debate over homosexuality rages as followers of Jesus struggle to know how to handle such an affront to God's holiness. While God is pretty clear about how He views this practice, believers don't agree on where to stand when it comes to the Gay community. (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) Take a hard stand and ban practicing homosexuals from church as a way to honor God and His righteousness? Let them worship side-by-side with others in an effort to show God's grace? Welcome them wholeheartedly, even to the point of placing them in positions of leadership so as to demonstrate our shared sinful nature and how God can use anyone to accomplish His will?
While I'm not here to debate the issue of homosexuality in the Church, I do think this dilemma brings up a good point. It is easy to get to the place where I am quick to condemn sin but slow to extend grace and let the truth of the Gospel convict another.
When Jesus was faced with a similar problem in the Jewish Temple, He handled it in a way that surprised everyone. The Jewish leaders brought in a woman who was caught committing adultery, according to the Law. As she stood before the group, these leaders said to Jesus, "Teacher, here is a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. According to the Law of Moses, she must be stoned. What do you say?"
Instead of responding, Jesus bent down and wrote in the dirt at their feet. The men looked at each other, perplexed. "Did you hear us? What shall we do? The Law is clear on this point!" Slowly, Jesus stood up. "Whoever is without sin can throw the first stone." Then, He squatted down and again wrote in the dusty soil.
These pompous men lowered their heads. The fight left their bodies and slowly, one by one, they dropped their stones and left, knowing that not one of them was completely innocent. When all the accusers had left, Jesus stood and faced the woman. "What, no one condemned you to death?"
"No one, sir."
"Then neither do I. Go and leave your life of sin."
(paraphrased from John 8:3-11)
God did not send His precious Son down into this broken, darkened world to find us guilty. Rather, He came to save us from the death penalty our sins earned. (John 3:17) Therefore, I should likewise be in the business of loving people enough to share the Truth of the gospel in love, leaving the job of convicting to God. The salvation of each individual person is what I must find important, not the kind of sin by which they are enslaved.
When I am quick to condemn sin but slow to extend grace, I am in danger of becoming like the Pharisees.
Revenge
The Pharisee invited Jesus to dine in his home. As He reclined at His host's table, a woman approached Jesus from behind, weeping deeply. Jesus had changed her life as she listened to His teachings, encouraging her to turn from her sinful ways and walk on the path of life. Her gratitude was deeply felt and she looked for a way to honor Him for what He had done in her heart.
She bent and, through the tears, kissed His feet, wiping them with her hair. Then, she produced an alabaster jar of perfume with which she proceeded to anoint His feet. Meanwhile, Simon, the host, looked on in disgust. If this man whom I showed kindness to by inviting Him to my table really was a prophet, He would know what kind of a woman it was who made such a shameful display, he thought, clucking his tongue.
Knowing his thoughts, Jesus addressed His host. "Simon, suppose there were two men who owed a certain lender some money. One owed a year-and-a-half worth of wages, while the other owed about a months' worth. Since neither had the means with which to pay him back, the lender forgave both the debts. Who do you think would love him more?"
"Probably the one whose debt was larger," Simon replied.
"Exactly, " Jesus replied. "Ever since I came to your home, this woman has washed my feet with her tears and liberally covered them with kisses while anointing me with perfume. You, however, did not even extend the courtesy to wash my feet, give me a kiss of greeting or anoint my head with oil. Her great love shows how her sins have been forgiven. Whoever has been forgiven little, loves little." (Paraphrased from Luke 7:36-50)
Simon was quick to want God's wrath to fall on this "sinful woman," believing in his heart that she was deserving of punishment. He did not, however, understand the darkness of his own heart and thus his own need for forgiveness.
There is no doubt that I live in a dark world where sin runs rampant and God and His ways are consistently trampled upon. It is easy, then, for me to develop a callousness against those who are caught up in the trap of the devil, believing the lies that sound so good to their sin nature and who are living to please themselves. (2 Timothy 2:25-26) Instead, I must understand the heart of God and His desire for each of His children to turn from their wicked ways and be saved. He is never slow to deliver judgement, but rather merciful. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
When I am quick to call for God to unleash His fury against a sinful world, I am in danger of becoming like the Pharisees.
Control
Jesus delivered the man who had been living in darkness since birth. Once he could see, the Pharisees questioned him. "How is it that you've been healed from your blindness?"
"The man they call Jesus put mud on my eyes and asked me to wash in the Pool of Siloam. Once I did, I could see."
The Pharisees began to argue among each other, some claiming He could not be from God since He healed on the Sabbath, others acknowledging the miracle He performed. They asked the former blind man what he thought.
"He must be a prophet."
These leaders questioned the parents and the man, trying to prove Jesus' guilt. All they could conclude, however, was that a man once blind, now could see. Still, they were determined to convict Jesus in some way. When they later encountered Jesus, He told them they were the ones were truly suffered from blindness. (paraphrased from John 9)
These Pharisees were convinced that they stood on the side of God, believing it was their job to convict those who opposed them. Unfortunately, they had it backwards. It was they who were guilty and completely oblivious to this fact.
I easily fall into the same trap, leading a crusade against what I judge as wrong yet completely blind to the ways I am fighting against God. Instead of pointing the finger at others, then, I would be wise to pay more attention to the three fingers pointing back at me. When I focus on submitting to God's leading in my life, I will be less likely to notice the sins of others.
Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs me to not depend on my own understanding or way of thinking, but to completely submit to God's will in every area of my life. This means that when I come up against a godly teaching that doesn't make sense to me, I must go against my own thinking and embrace what God is showing me. When I do this, He'll make it clear where to go from there. If I don't, however, I'll end up going out on my own, against God.
When I am quick to follow my own lead, essentially rejecting God's, I am in danger of becoming like the Pharisees.
When I read about the Pharisees in the New Testament, it is clear how they oppose God and His ways. I could never imagine acting in such a way, I tend to think. In reality, however, I am always at risk of reverting to their way of thinking. Therefore, I must value sinners above the need to condemn the sin, forgive liberally while resisting the urge to enact revenge on a dark world, and submit to God's leadership instead of insisting on doing what seems right to me. In these ways, I'll guard against the tendency to live like a Pharisee.
As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can be sensitive to my sinful ways, thus realizing my need for God's mercy.
How do I focus more on the sins of others instead of my own?
When do I desire to take the lead against the sin around me instead of submitting to God's authority?
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