The Pharisee in Me

Journey with Jesus to the Cross: (Saturday, March 12)

Read Luke 6

At first, we’re frustrated by the Pharisees. But later we wonder: is there a bit of the Pharisee in us, too?

First, our frustration. Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees are so infuriated by this apparent disregard for Sabbath-keeping that they immediately plot – on the Sabbath, mind you! – how to get rid of Jesus.

“Let me see if I have this right,” we think. “It’s not okay to heal a man on the Sabbath, but it is okay to plan your revenge on the Sabbath? Seems like a twisted set of priorities to me.” And we’re right. The Pharisees were so protective of the letter of the law that the violated its spirit. Jesus knew this. That’s why he asked, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm?”

So far, so good. But then Jesus begins to ruffle our own feathers a bit. He spends the night in prayer (there’s that refrain again!) and chooses 12 apostles. He gathers them along with others who are following him and he tells them what kind of kingdom he is establishing.

We see immediately that it’s not like any kingdom we’ve ever heard of. Everyone is welcome in his kingdom: the poor the hungry, the mourners, the hated. Then there are some strong words for those who are rich, well-fed, happy and well-thought-of. We’re starting to wonder what kind of upside-down kingdom this is. 

Then Jesus talks about love. “Love your enemies,” he says -- not once, but twice. Is he serious? We know he is.

Have you thought about how hard -- and countercultural -- it is to love our enemies? Forget for a moment those enemies we will likely never meet. What about the people all around us with values, lifestyles or politics we find objectionable? Do we truly love them? And what would it mean if we did? 

These are hard questions for us to answer. But we know in our hearts that Jesus was right. Love must be given to everyone, no matter what. If we’re not careful, the Pharisee in us will object as vehemently as they did in Jesus’ time. We will plot against love, even while trying to affirm it.

But Jesus will not let us off the hook. For before long, what do we see? We see Jesus on a cross, loving the very people who hate him. He says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” That act of forgiving love changed the world. It still changes the world today. And there’s one thing we can all agree about: the world could use a bit of changing. Let’s start by loving people — one person at a time.

“Lord, teach me how to love others like you loved others. Help me to become a more loving person — especially toward those I find it difficult to love.”