Faith

by Debbie Wallis

to help Everything they do is to show off to others They even make a big show of wearing Scriptures on their foreheads and arms, and show off with their clothes They love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues They liked to be greeted by people in the marketplaces as their great teacher But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Don’t be called the instructor, for you have one instructor, Christ. The greatest among you should be the servant to others Whoever exalts himself will be put down, and whoever humbles himself will be honored,” Matthew 23:1-12

Being superior in all situations leads to disappointment in others Disappointment leads to frustration and frustration leads to anger

Anger is expressed in a spiritual superiority and leans hard on others Without recognizing its slow growth in your life your passion for perfection can make you a Pharisee The challenge is to recognize the passion as your desire to serve the Lord and avoid the pride of measuring others commitment and passion to yours. It happens in every area of life. People of passion and dedication wonder why other people are not as passionate

The Pharisees studied the law and

“Then the disciples came over to Him and asked, ‘Do you know that You insulted the Pharisees by what You said?’ Jesus answered, ‘Every plant that My Father in Heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots Stay away from the Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch ” Matthew 15:12-14

Jesus didn’t have much use for the Pharisees and we shouldn’t either He condemns them in Matthew 23 Jesus called it for what it was He was not politically correct. He didn’t tip toe around an issue so He wouldn’t embarrass anyone. He showed no favoritism. He had no tolerance for their behavior because He saw it as destructive to the people they ruled

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: The scribes and the Pharisees are experts on the Law of Moses, so obey whatever they tell you, but not what they do They say one thing and do something else They put heavy burdens on people's shoulders, but they are not willing to lift a finger

The church still has Pharisees pointing out the shortcomings of others and Social Media has made it easier for a Pharisee to gain a following It’s easy to see the spirit of judgement in others but this is a blind spot in our own lives

Pharisees attitudes are brought out through difficult situations with difficult people The reality is that it often hides in high expectations. We are often disappointed with the spiritual journey of the people close to us.

Pharisees get religiously bitter and start looking down on others who don’t measure up to their sacrifices knew it well Their downfall was that they centered themselves on self-justification and selfimportance The irony is that the people who purposed to love God most ultimately killed Him when He showed up Denying Christ is exactly what we do when our attitudes justify ourselves more than they reflect the heart and love of Jesus God forgive the Pharisee in me and make my heart more like Yours,

As a child we voice when we are the best “I can do this and that and you can’t ” It’s up to adults to correct that kind of pride and to help children learn humility Raising children in a society where everyone plays and everyone gets a trophy has contributed to a generation that doesn’t understand that life is not like that As time goes by they learn to think they are superior but not to say it out loud That creates a Pharisee’s attitude of superiority.

If you don’t have a bible please contact me at sfadebbie@yahoo.com and I will provide you one