Before I Leave... Set Free from the Pharisee in Me
[powerpress]
The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for the commemoration of the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus through repentance, restitution, almsgiving, and self-denial. (How ironic that Chicago just had its own Mardi Gras with the celebration of St. Patrick's Day?) In honor of the season of Lent, we are taking the next several weeks to finish the Gospel of Matthew as it records some of Jesus' final instruction before going to the cross to conquer Satan, sin, and death. We are highlighting themes that Jesus said must be of utmost importance to His church and the world. This week, we see that before He left, Jesus wanted to make it clear that being merely outwardly religious is not enough. He would utilize the Pharisees and religious leaders as examples to show us the mixed bag of myopia that can be in our hearts and the importance of inside-out questioning to have sincere devotion to Christ.
Mixed Bag of Myopia
“Nothing is more common than the wish to be remarkable” ― Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
This is seen in some of the opening verses from Aloe Blacc's The Man lyrics (currently #5 on the iTunes chart):
Somewhere I heard that life is a test I been through the worst but I still give my best God made my mold different from the rest Then he broke that mold so I know I'm blessed (this is my world)
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1-12 NIV)
Heavy loads can be theological concepts or disciplines not necessary in someone's childlike pursuit of the Father (Matthew 19:13-15; Acts 15). In the case of the Pharisees, it was the oral tradition that they utilized as an interpretation of the law of God to make the commandments practical. It ended up adding expectations to the Scripture that God Himself did not require. What have you added to the Word of God in an attempt to be pious?
Regarding the Scripture above: -"Phylacteries" were small boxes tied to the arm and forehead containing Scripture. -"Tassels on their garments" were a reminder to obey the commandments. The Pharisees made theirs extra long for the people to admire. How do you try to draw attention to your piety? What does it do to your heart before God?
The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees had the right content and material, but somehow made their service to God all about them. This is myopia. One of the great sins of our generation is the myopia with which we live. It is irritating when we see it in others and is very easily overlooked in our own hearts. How much of the good that you do is for other people to see, for their commendation? We are selfish by nature and live like the world revolves around us. It is unpleasant when you see it in the world at large, but even more confusing when you see it in those professing to have lost their lives for Christ.
“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.” ― Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends & Influence People
You must be free of self-obsession if you are to genuinely serve Jesus. Your love for God will never be sincere, nor your service to Him faithful, if they are merely a means to make you feel good about yourself. Once you are self-satisfied, your devotion will end. How often is your service more about you rather than Jesus or those whom you're serving?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2esfW4gBNao
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WuJK1YqSqxE
You can tell that you are myopic by the following reflections: Think of the conversations that you have. How much of your conversation focuses on you and your concerns? How often do you even venture to ask a question about the other person's life showing concern for their affairs? What are the topics of most of your blogging? Are you more centered in your thoughts on the good that you can do for others or the fun that you want to make sure you experience yourself, thinking that this is the ultimate goal and value in life? Jesus is saying very clearly that your world is to be Christ-centric: The Kingdom is all about Him, and your life should revolve around His affairs, His passionate desire to reconcile a world to Himself through the cross.
More from Aloe Blacc's The Man lyrics:
I got all the answers to your questions I'll be the teacher you could be the lesson I'll be the preacher you be the confession I'll be the quick relief to all your stressin' (this is my world) It's a thin line between love and hate Is you really real or is you really fake I'm a soldier standing on my feet No surrender and I won't retreat (this is my world)
[Bridge:] Stand up now and face the sun Won't hide my tail or turn and run It's time to do what must be done Be a king when kingdom comes
[Hook:] Well you can tell everybody Yeah you can tell everybody Go ahead and tell everybody I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man
These seem more like words that should have been spoken about Jesus than the aspiration of any individual.
Your attitude should be that of a servant to those to whom you are ministering and even leading. Even in the workplace, that means that you don't think yourself better, or try to prove yourself superior, but instead look for what will benefit them (Acts 20:19-30). In addition, it means that you are willing to inconvenience yourself with diligence to serve them, and do not wait for them to come to you on your terms. It means that you have a tireless work ethic to make sure that their needs are met. This is the love that Jesus exemplified and that we are to imitate.
“Those that hate goodness are sometimes nearer than those that know nothing at all about it and think they have it.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Matthew 23:13, 15-24 NIV)
In cities like Chicago, people try to appease their consciences in many ways. They give money to the church and charities, observe holy days, participate in community service, or are faithful in church attendance as an attempt to make peace with God. Reconciliation with God is forever and only made possible through what Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross, which does not compete with these efforts, but is the motivation for them. With pure devotion to Jesus, we practice the latter without leaving the former as our foundation. This leads to inside-out living.
Inside Out Living
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” -Abraham Lincoln
God always works from the inside out. What you think, do, and say in the secret place will eventually come out.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started! (Matthew 23:25-32 NIV)
Having a critical spirit is one of the greatest pitfalls of having "done the religious thing for a while." It becomes easy to think that you're standing for a righteous cause, and actually find yourself fighting against God (v. 29-32). In the name of the "love of God," people often find themselves championing what God hates and disdaining what He loves. The Bible is the only thing that makes this clear distinction. The cross of Jesus is a classic example of this. It is the place of religious zeal gone wrong, but is also the place where reconciliation with God takes place and where God begins to work from the inside out.
Religious pride can be some of the most dangerous of all, because it masks itself with good intentions, a right subject (being Jesus), and a lack of love, all exercised in His name.
We think that we know more than we do, and are often unwilling to be taught. We build theologies to justify our lack of fruitfulness in God and in ministry, not realizing that it is that pride that is blinding us from learning how to be effective like Jesus. The question is, "Has your increase in knowledge made you more critical or humble in your service to Jesus and others?"
"I have found out ludicrous and terrible things about my own character. Sitting by, watching the rising thoughts to break their necks as they pop up, one learns to know the sort of thoughts that do come. And, will you believe it, one out of every three is a thought of self-admiration: when everything else fails, having had its neck broken, up comes the thought "What an admirable fellow I am to have broken their necks!" I catch myself posturing before the mirror, so to speak, all day long. I pretend I am carefully thinking out what to say to the next pupil (for his good, of course) and then suddenly realize I am really thinking how frightfully clever I'm going to be and how he will admire me. When you force yourself to stop it, you admire yourself for doing that. It's like fighting the hydra.There seems to be no end to it. Depth under depth of self-love and self-admiration. Pride is the mother of all sins, and the original sin of Lucifer." -C.S. Lewis in C.S. Lewis: A Biography, Green and Hooper, p. 105
Take these things to the cross of Jesus, and you will be a man and woman of integrity who you really hope to be in Christ. God has real freedom for you when you come into the light in community.
“You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ” (Matthew 23:33-39 NIV)
We live in the Information Age, which means that knowledge can be cheap. You can go on any podcast or website and find the greatest teacher, pastor, etc. (I Corinthians 8:1-3). Real discipleship is worked out in the relationships found in church community where love has to be demonstrated and commitment expressed. Otherwise, you can easily become a religious pundit, a Pharisee merely commenting on the affairs of the world rather than doing anything to help it.
Do not kill, berate, run off, or avoid those who are sent to serve you and help you become like Jesus, in your escape from hell. You should run to this counsel, not from it, realizing that we all need it. Don't just pursue relationships by which you'll remain merely religious. Pursue relationships through which you'll grow in your relationship with Jesus and His purposes for your life through the church. The final question is, "How will I now seek out godly counsel in my growing devotion to Jesus, being freed of the Pharisee in me?"
Second City Church- Before I Leave Sermon Series 2014