Don't Be a Pharisee!

What did Jesus have against the religious leaders of his day? Why did He always say, don't be like the hypocrites?

First of all, a hypocrite says one thing, but does another.

The Pharisees/Jewish religious leaders were claiming spiritual life, but they did not have it.

Jesus turned it all inside out. The Pharisees were posing for men, having long prayers for their own image and self-righteousness, they fasted and wanted everyone to know how super-spiritual they were, but Jesus, Jesus said they were missing it. They did not have what they acted as if they did. They missed it.

For Jesus, the Gospel, the Word of God, is not a thing just to be memorized. It is not just head knowledge and a bunch of rules. That is death. That leads to being a hypocrite. It leads to hypocrisy because the Word of God comes in a active relationship with God. It is possible to know all about God and God's Son, but do nothing with Him. That is being a Pharisee.

We are called to deep, intimate relationship with Creator of all that is. Who loved us so much He sent his Son to embrace the heights of agony under the full wrath of God. God's Son took it all. He came in love.

It is possible to "know" so much, but the Gospel, The Word of God is meant to be "experienced." If you never experience the Word of God, never obey it, never step out in faith to follow something that doesn't make sense to you, THEN you will never experience God! Christianity is an experiential faith not just intellectual.

Don't be a Pharisee.......