A Modern Day Pharisee.

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!” Matt. 23:25-26. NET.

A renowned preacher once gave an apt description to an average Pharisee. He aptly said, they were like bags tied in the middle. Anything put into the top will not reach the bottom. The Pharisee opens his mouth wide when he prays, but his heart is tightly shut. With his lips he asks for things that his heart does not really desire. If God were to give him the spiritual blessings he asks for, it would only be a waste of good gifts, for they could not get to the bottom of the bag. His pride would choke them off, and they would never touch his heart. My counsel is that you shouldn't end up a spiritual Pharisee. A spiritual Pharisee is someone who prioritizes outward religious performance, strict rule-following, and self-righteous judgment over genuine love, mercy, and internal transformation.

Pharisees were not altogether unbelievers as it were. They were strict adherents of both the Written Torah (the Mosaic Law/Old Testament) and, crucially, the Oral Tradition or "traditions of the elders". Their adherence was characterized by a commitment to interpreting and applying these laws to every aspect of daily life to ensure personal and communal purity. This makes them trust in their own works to make them righteous rather than accepting the grace of God. This leads to a prideful belief that one is better than others, which is a distortion of the gospel message. It creates heartless legalism.

A Pharisee spirit focuses on minute technicalities while neglecting "weightier matters" like justice, mercy, and faith. It binds heavy burdens on others without offering compassion. In a nutshell, this encourages hypocrisy. These days we find believers who are more interested in outward show more than internal commitment to the practice of God's word and genuine transformation of the inner man. Phariseeism often masquerades as piety but fails to act in love. This attitude is often motivated by jealousy, criticism, and a desire to condemn rather than restore. A spiritual Pharisee often values their own made-up rules and traditions over the actual word of God, using them to police others for conformity. It often will lead to spiritual blindness because such people become too self-absorbed and satisfied with their own knowledge and blind to their own sins and to the true work of God. Ultimately, this mindset opposes Jesus, as it seeks to maintain its own power and authority rather than submitting to God. It was the Pharisees who persecuted the prophets and conspired against Jesus. Selah!

FURTHER READING:

“The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke. 18:13-14. NET.

“Meanwhile, when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Luke. 12:1.

DECLARATION: 

Dear Abba Father, I thank You for the gift of life and the privilege of salvation. Lord, cleanse me from the temptation to do good works for the applause of others. Search my heart and expose the hidden pride, deceit, or self-indulgence that lurks within. Make me "real," rather than a performer of empty rituals. Teach me to love justice, kindness, and to walk humbly with You. Give me the courage to choose what is right over what is easy, and to maintain integrity even when no one is watching. I receive grace, wisdom and courage to do this in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:

2 Chron. 4:1-22.

2 Chron. 5:1-14.

2 Chron. 6:1-42.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“Its Double Standard To Be Easy On Yourself And Hard On Others."