There is an old story that I have come across on numerous occasions. It is about a wise Teacher who was once invited to attend a banquet hosted by the King. The King just happened to be a good friend of the Teacher, and was looking forward to enjoying the company of his old friend.
On the day of the banquet, the Teacher arrived at the gate in his humble teaching attire. The guard stopped him and said, “No one is allowed into the banquet without a coat.”
The Teacher responded, “I am a good friend of the King, and he is expecting me. Here is my invitation.”
The guard replied, “My orders are from the King himself. You may not enter without a coat!”
The Teacher left, went home, and obtained a coat. The guard permitted him to enter this time, and the Teacher took his place next to his old friend the King.
When the meal was served, the Teacher began pouring his drink on the coat. He also stuffed all the food into the pockets of the coat. The other guests were deeply concerned with this behavior.
Finally, the King spoke up in embarrassment. “Why are you putting your meal all over your coat?”
The Teacher replied, “When I came to the gate the first time to enter the banquet, I was denied because I didn’t have on this coat. But when I put the coat on, I was allowed in. I can only deduce from this that I was not the real guest invited to this banquet, this coat was. Therefore, the coat should enjoy the meal.”
Now, normally, we use such a story to drive home the axiom, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Or we try to teach people the reality that a person is actually more than what they wear. These things are most certainly true, but for today, I want to use this story to lead us toward self-reflection. I would like for each and every one of us to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves what kind of window dressings do we put on ourselves? And do those window dressings give us a sense of self-importance that we really do not deserve?
In the previous section of the book of Romans, Paul dealt with Jews who were counting on their knowledge of God’s Law–the Torah–the first five books of the Old Testament for salvation. They believed that simply knowing the Law was good enough to ensure God’s love and mercy. Paul showed that it was not knowing the Law that counted but the doing of the Law that was required, and Paul showed how even Gentiles followed the Law that God had instilled deep within them. Simply knowing the Law was not a mark of salvation.
Today, Paul has to deal with another Jewish myth: the myth that Jews had a particular status before God that would guarantee them salvation. Let’s turn to the text, and I will try to make things more clear. Paul writes, “17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God 18and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, 19and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, 21you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24For, as it is written, ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’
Paul begins with five assertions that Jews made about themselves based upon their relationship with God and their knowledge about God’s will, and all five of these things can be found in the Jewish literature dating to this time period. Paul is not putting up a strawman. The Jews actually believed these five things:
1. They were guides to the blind–to those who didn’t have God’s Law.
2. A light to those who were in darkness–to those who didn’t know God’s will.
3. A corrector of the foolish–using the Law to correct those who didn’t know better.
4. A teacher of children–considering themselves more mature than those who didn’t have God’s Law.
5. Having the embodiment of knowledge and Truth in God’s Law–as opposed the rest of the world who were grasping at straws.
Notice that Paul does not say that any of this is false. Paul does not criticize the Jewish belief that these things are true. No. Not in the least because in a very real way, all of this is indeed true. This was the responsibility of the Jewish people. They were to be all of these things, but the point Paul makes is–they have failed.
“You that teach others, will you not teach yourself,” Paul says. When you look in the mirror, do you find yourself doing the things that you tell others not to do? Are you the kind of person who says, “Do as I say not as I do?” This is what is behind all of Paul’s questions about stealing, adultery, robbing temples, and the like He is not accusing EVERYONE of doing such things, but he is using easily understood examples to point out the failure of the Jews to obey the totality of the Torah. And because of their failure to obey the Torah, to keep God first, they have failed in their calling to be a light to the world. When God made the covenant with Abraham, God specifically said, “You are blessed to be a blessing to the rest of the world.” The Jews had not been that blessing. Instead of blessing the world, they had sought to keep that blessing to themselves. They were abject failures.
And their failure has had dire consequences!!! Paul quotes Isaiah 52:5 to show the consequences of the Jewish failure to follow the Law, “The name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles because of you!” Your failure has actually led people away from God!
This is an all too common thing for the church in our society today. Over and over again, you will hear non-believers pointing out how our behavior does not match our words. You will hear over and over again how we are hypocrites–how we talk about loving one another and then fail to love. How we talk about the need to worship and then our constant skipping of church. How we talk of the sanctity of marriage and then have many, many divorces. How we talk about the sanctity of life and either support abortion or the death penalty. How we talk about feeding the hungry and then railing against government policies that do exactly that.
There is even the story of the man who was stopped at a light. The light turned green, and the car in front of him refused to budge. The man unleashed a string of curse words that would make a sailor blush. He made more than a few obscene hand gestures. He turned beet red with anger and frustration. All of which caught the attention of a passing police officer. The officer came up to the vehicle and asked for the driver’s license and registration. The man willingly gave it to the officer, and then asked, “Is there a problem, officer. Did I break the law?” The officer responded, “After looking at your license and registration, no. You didn’t.” “The man then asked, “Then why did you stop me?” The officer replied, “When I saw the way you were acting back there and then I saw the ‘Honk if you love Jesus!’ bumper sticker, I thought the car was stolen.”
It’s a laughable joke, but there is a deep reality to the situation because oftentimes we are hypocritical in our behavior as the church. We have not been a light on a hill. We have not followed the command of our leader, “by this everyone will know that you are my disciples–if you have love for one another.” And people have turned away from God because of it. People have left the church because of our behavior. People have defamed the name of God because we have failed to be who God has called us to be.
For anyone who claims to be a Christian, this is devastating news. This is a scathing rebuke. It should make us hang our heads in shame.
But Paul is not done. He pushes the rebuke even further. 25 Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law, will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you that have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God.
Paul is merciless here. He is absolutely merciless. If there was a mark of Judaism that was revered, it was circumcision. It was personal. It was the sign of the covenant with Abraham. It physically marked a person as different from the rest of the world, and there were many Jewish rabbis who blatantly said, “If a person is circumcised, he is guaranteed salvation.” Paul says, “Um, no.”
In fact, Paul says, if you are circumcised and yet break God’s Law, you have essentially reversed your circumcision!! You are no longer a Jew!! This would not have simply raised a few eyebrows, it would have caused great consternation!! It would have caused an uprising!! This was sacrilege to a Jew!!
But Paul isn’t finished. Paul is going to drive the logic to its final conclusion. Real circumcision, Paul says, is a matter of the heart. Real circumcision is deep within a person, and if a Gentile follows the Law, then he is actually more of a Jew than a circumcised Jew who doesn’t follow the Law. And the one who follows the Law, even though he be uncircumcised receives praise from God.
Let me put this in modern terms. There are some atheists who put some Christians to shame when it comes to living a moral, upright life. There are some people of other faith traditions who are much more loving, kind, worshipful, and moral than some Christians. There are many Muslims who attend worship at Mosques much more regularly than Christians. The average Lutheran Christian in the U.S. considers himself or herself to worship regularly if he or she worships once a month. But half of all Muslims in the U.S. attend weekly worship. Think about that!!
Paul would say, “They are acting more Christian than you are!!!”
This is scathing for us to hear. And shameful. The idea that there are people of other faiths who worship more regularly than Christians; who treat others with more kindness and compassion; who are more generous; who are working for justice and peace; who have a deeper faith in their god than we do in ours is abhorrent. It should never, ever happen. Yet, it does.
I told you as we entered into these chapters that we would get to the point where we were so angry with Paul that we didn’t want anything more to do with God or we would find ourselves broken-hearted ready to hear the Gospel. In a very real way, this is the deepest rebuke Paul can offer those who believe. We are forced to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “Do we simply wear the coat of Christianity, or is it something that resides deep within our hearts? Is our Christian faith simply an external thing–a part of our identity that can be discarded as we choose; or is it who we are–the core of our being? Is our Christianity something we wear thinking it will get us access to the final party without it really affecting our personhood?”
These are tough questions. They demand deep, personal reflection. They can be very humbling indeed. And they can prepare our hearts to help us hear the Gospel. That Gospel is just around the corner. Hang in there. We will hear it before long. Amen.
Showing posts with label hypocrisy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hypocrisy. Show all posts
Monday, October 10, 2016
Monday, September 26, 2016
Religious Hypocrites: Romans 2:1-11
Growing up, my dad often warned me with these words, “Be careful of pointing your finger at someone because you will have three pointing right back at you.”
Being the little smart-alec that I was, I started pointing with an open hand.
Others have offered these words of wisdom, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks.”
Being the smart-alec that I am, I’d respond, “I’ll live in a brick house.”
Excuses can come easy if you really want them to, but if you live long enough, take time to reflect on life long enough, and if you probe the depths of your own heart at some station in life, then you will come to see these anecdotes as a description of reality. You will come to see the hypocrisy in your judgment. You will find yourself condemned by your own moral standards. Oh, some of you may readily disagree. Some of you may believe that you not only talk the talk but you walk the walk, but the hard, cold fact of the matter is: we generally are hypocrites without even knowing it, and in the eyes of God, we bring condemnation upon ourselves.
We have just finished a scathing portion of the book of Romans. In chapter one verses 18-32, Paul has laid out a horrid condemnation of humanity beginning with the premise that there are those who have traded the worship of the Creator for the created. These folks’ hearts have been corrupted, and they chase after idols–false gods. They seek their security, safety, worth, value, meaning, and purpose in goods and ideas that can never satisfy–and, in fact, instead of giving freedom and value, they actually end up destroying a person. Hence, God “gave them up” to follow their desires so that the very fabric of God’s created order unravels and they find themselves in hell long before they die. Chapter one ends in this fashion.
But what about people who do believe in God and worship God? What about people who strive to follow God’s commands? What about people who agree that all those things Paul listed at the end of chapter one are wrong and abhorrent? I mean, most of us would agree that the following are indeed wrong: “wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, gossips 30slander, God-hating, insolence, haughtiness, boastfulness, inventing evil, rebellious towards parents, 31foolishness, faithlessness, heartlessness, ruthlessness. Paul says that all of these things flow from a heart which is not seeking God–a heart that does not worship God.
This leaves the door wide open for someone to say, “Well, I do worship God. I do honor God. I am not like all those other people. I do not stand condemned. They are the ones with the problem–not me.” Paul now turns his attention to such a one as Romans chapter 2 begins.
The apostle writes, “Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. 2You say, ‘We know that God’s judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.’ 3Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God?” This must have seemed a bit confusing to those who heard it. They might have thought, “What do you mean, Paul? I strive to avoid such matters. I don’t engage in homosexual acts. I am worshiping God. I work hard to love my neighbor and avoid all those things you listed. How am I condemning myself when I point out the ugly things that people are doing? How am I being hypocritical? How am I doing those things you are talking about?”
Paul continues, “4Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed.” The clue to this dilemma can be found right here in verse five, “but by your hard and impenitent heart.” These words are the lynch pin of this whole diatribe.
Paul points out that it is in God’s nature to be very forgiving; to be patient; to be kind. This kindness, forgiveness, and patience is meant to melt our hearts–to turn us away from idolatry and toward Him. This is what repentance is. Repentance isn’t just turning away from doing bad things and then doing good things. Repentance is a total change of heart–a change from worshiping idols and worshiping God. Paul is pointing out that this change of heart has not occurred. Paul is pointing out that even these religious folks are committing idolatry, and odds are, they have no idea they are doing it. I will explain what is going on in just a moment. We need to add the next couple of verses to get there.
6For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: 7to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. 9There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. Now we come to a very interesting point because Paul says that God will repay each of us according to our deeds. If we misunderstand what Paul is saying here, we will come to the conclusion that we’d better get our act together and do as many nice things as we possibly can. We’d better worship regularly. We’d better give to charity and the church. We’d better treat others with respect and kindness. We’d better balance the scales in the favor of doing good because if we haven’t done enough, we will end up in the fires of hell!
But wait a minute. Paul began this chapter addressing people who believed they were doing just this thing. Paul began this chapter by addressing people who thought they were worshiping God who were not committing all the acts laid out in chapter one. He said they were building up wrath for themselves. He said that they had a hardness of heart. How can that be?
Well, let’s return to how Paul defines what it means to do good–to seek for glory and honor and immortality. Paul also defines what it means to do evil–to be self-seeking and obey wickedness or injustice. Hold those two definitions beside each other for just a moment. Doing evil is to be self-seeking. Doing evil is to be consumed with self. And if that is the case, does doing good mean that I am seeking my own glory; my own honor; my own immortality? It cannot!! Hence, doing good means I must be seeking the glory, honor, and immortality of something else. It must mean that I must be seeking the glory, honor, and immortality of God. It means my heart must be tuned to and I must be living for God.
Here is where I hope to clear things up. Here is where I hope to show you how this all comes together. For you see, Paul is telling us that you can do good deeds for the wrong reason. Let me say that again, you can do good deeds for the wrong reason. You can do good deeds and be completely and totally self-serving!
How so? Let me show you by this imaginary dialogue.
So, I notice you go to church. Why?
It makes me feel good, and I know I won’t end up in hell.
I also notice that you give to the church. Why?
It makes me feel good, and I know I won’t end up in hell.
I notice that you are kind to others. Why?
It makes me feel good, and I know I won’t end up in hell.
I notice that you give to charity. Why?
It makes me feel good and I know I won’t end up in hell.
I noticed that you try and follow the Ten Commandments all the time. Why?
I don’t want to make God angry and feel bad about myself.
Let’s stop the dialogue right there, and let me ask you: for whose sake is the imaginary person acting? Who is the imaginary religious person actually serving? Me. Myself. And I. The person is not doing these deeds for God’s sake. This person is actually self-serving. This person is actually seeking his or her own good. This person is not getting their sense of value, self-worth, safety and security from God–this person is getting their sense of value, self-worth, safety and security FROM THEIR GOOD WORKS. This person has made an idol out of their good works.
And if I feel like I am successful in doing good...
If I feel like I can accomplish living a good and upright moral life...
If I feel like such a life can be lived with making just a few life choices and sacrifices...
Then I can be very, very contemptuous of others who do not live the same kind of life I live. I can look down my nose at them and sneer. I can say they are the ones with the problem, not me. I’m doing good. I’m living right. I’m following God’s commands and worshiping Him. They are the ones with the idols, not me.
WRONG. You have an idol. You just can’t see it. Your self-righteousness blinds you to it. Your idol is your self. Hence every time you think you are doing good, you are simply storing God’s wrath up against yourself. You are not working and doing such things for God, you are doing them for you. While others are flat out rejecting God and turning to false forms of worship knowingly; you are rejecting God and serving yourself.
I have shared my testimony before you in the past, but it bears repeating now, for I do not want you to think that I am pointing fingers again. I learned my lesson from my father and from the brutal reality of my own life. For the bulk of my ministry, I now know that I was serving myself. If you would have told me this five years ago, I would have denied it vehemently!! I was a pastor. I was preaching God’s Word. I was helping a church to grow and do ministry! There was no way I was serving myself.
But after getting burned out, God revealed to me the deepest desires of my heart. I had to confront what I was living for–what I desperately wanted. I wanted to take a church and make it grow from very small to very big. I wanted this to happen because I wanted people to ask me how I did it in the mist of a culture that is more and more reluctant to embrace Christianity. I wanted people to take notice of my preaching and teaching. I wanted to write several books and become a popular author and public speaker. I wanted fame in the church and the obligatory fortune that would come with it. These were the deepest desires of my heart, and when this congregation didn’t grow as expected–when I felt like you weren’t holding up your end of what I thought you should do, then I became contemptuous of you. I became angry with you. You were why the church wasn’t growing. It just couldn’t be me. I was pouring my heart out to make you grow...so that I could reap the rewards. Selfish. Selfish. Selfish. I deserve your contempt and hatred. It is only just. Even in the midst of preaching God’s word and working in the church, I was not serving Him.
This is why Paul pens verse 11, “For God shows no partiality.” It doesn’t matter if you are doing wrong because you flat out reject God or doing right because you are serving yourself. In neither fashion are you worshiping the true God. In neither case are you seeking His glory, honor, or immortality. In both cases you are serving yourself. In both cases, there is a hardness of heart. In both cases sin is abounding, and in both cases, God’s wrath burns hot.
Paul unequivocally shows with these words that both the religious person and the irreligious person are under the condemnation of God. Both the religious person and the irreligious person are pursuing idols. It’s a hard, hard pill to swallow.
But the good news is that there is a cure. We will not hear that cure today. Not yet. There is still more preparatory work to be done on our hearts. There is still more groundwork that needs to be laid, but hang in there. Walk through this time. Feel the anger of God mounting as you realize the depths of your sin. When the gospel is announced–when Paul reveals what God has done, you will understand why it is called amazing grace. Amen.
Being the little smart-alec that I was, I started pointing with an open hand.
Others have offered these words of wisdom, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks.”
Being the smart-alec that I am, I’d respond, “I’ll live in a brick house.”
Excuses can come easy if you really want them to, but if you live long enough, take time to reflect on life long enough, and if you probe the depths of your own heart at some station in life, then you will come to see these anecdotes as a description of reality. You will come to see the hypocrisy in your judgment. You will find yourself condemned by your own moral standards. Oh, some of you may readily disagree. Some of you may believe that you not only talk the talk but you walk the walk, but the hard, cold fact of the matter is: we generally are hypocrites without even knowing it, and in the eyes of God, we bring condemnation upon ourselves.
We have just finished a scathing portion of the book of Romans. In chapter one verses 18-32, Paul has laid out a horrid condemnation of humanity beginning with the premise that there are those who have traded the worship of the Creator for the created. These folks’ hearts have been corrupted, and they chase after idols–false gods. They seek their security, safety, worth, value, meaning, and purpose in goods and ideas that can never satisfy–and, in fact, instead of giving freedom and value, they actually end up destroying a person. Hence, God “gave them up” to follow their desires so that the very fabric of God’s created order unravels and they find themselves in hell long before they die. Chapter one ends in this fashion.
But what about people who do believe in God and worship God? What about people who strive to follow God’s commands? What about people who agree that all those things Paul listed at the end of chapter one are wrong and abhorrent? I mean, most of us would agree that the following are indeed wrong: “wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, gossips 30slander, God-hating, insolence, haughtiness, boastfulness, inventing evil, rebellious towards parents, 31foolishness, faithlessness, heartlessness, ruthlessness. Paul says that all of these things flow from a heart which is not seeking God–a heart that does not worship God.
This leaves the door wide open for someone to say, “Well, I do worship God. I do honor God. I am not like all those other people. I do not stand condemned. They are the ones with the problem–not me.” Paul now turns his attention to such a one as Romans chapter 2 begins.
The apostle writes, “Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgement on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. 2You say, ‘We know that God’s judgement on those who do such things is in accordance with truth.’ 3Do you imagine, whoever you are, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God?” This must have seemed a bit confusing to those who heard it. They might have thought, “What do you mean, Paul? I strive to avoid such matters. I don’t engage in homosexual acts. I am worshiping God. I work hard to love my neighbor and avoid all those things you listed. How am I condemning myself when I point out the ugly things that people are doing? How am I being hypocritical? How am I doing those things you are talking about?”
Paul continues, “4Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience? Do you not realize that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgement will be revealed.” The clue to this dilemma can be found right here in verse five, “but by your hard and impenitent heart.” These words are the lynch pin of this whole diatribe.
Paul points out that it is in God’s nature to be very forgiving; to be patient; to be kind. This kindness, forgiveness, and patience is meant to melt our hearts–to turn us away from idolatry and toward Him. This is what repentance is. Repentance isn’t just turning away from doing bad things and then doing good things. Repentance is a total change of heart–a change from worshiping idols and worshiping God. Paul is pointing out that this change of heart has not occurred. Paul is pointing out that even these religious folks are committing idolatry, and odds are, they have no idea they are doing it. I will explain what is going on in just a moment. We need to add the next couple of verses to get there.
6For he will repay according to each one’s deeds: 7to those who by patiently doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8while for those who are self-seeking and who obey not the truth but wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. 9There will be anguish and distress for everyone who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. Now we come to a very interesting point because Paul says that God will repay each of us according to our deeds. If we misunderstand what Paul is saying here, we will come to the conclusion that we’d better get our act together and do as many nice things as we possibly can. We’d better worship regularly. We’d better give to charity and the church. We’d better treat others with respect and kindness. We’d better balance the scales in the favor of doing good because if we haven’t done enough, we will end up in the fires of hell!
But wait a minute. Paul began this chapter addressing people who believed they were doing just this thing. Paul began this chapter by addressing people who thought they were worshiping God who were not committing all the acts laid out in chapter one. He said they were building up wrath for themselves. He said that they had a hardness of heart. How can that be?
Well, let’s return to how Paul defines what it means to do good–to seek for glory and honor and immortality. Paul also defines what it means to do evil–to be self-seeking and obey wickedness or injustice. Hold those two definitions beside each other for just a moment. Doing evil is to be self-seeking. Doing evil is to be consumed with self. And if that is the case, does doing good mean that I am seeking my own glory; my own honor; my own immortality? It cannot!! Hence, doing good means I must be seeking the glory, honor, and immortality of something else. It must mean that I must be seeking the glory, honor, and immortality of God. It means my heart must be tuned to and I must be living for God.
Here is where I hope to clear things up. Here is where I hope to show you how this all comes together. For you see, Paul is telling us that you can do good deeds for the wrong reason. Let me say that again, you can do good deeds for the wrong reason. You can do good deeds and be completely and totally self-serving!
How so? Let me show you by this imaginary dialogue.
So, I notice you go to church. Why?
It makes me feel good, and I know I won’t end up in hell.
I also notice that you give to the church. Why?
It makes me feel good, and I know I won’t end up in hell.
I notice that you are kind to others. Why?
It makes me feel good, and I know I won’t end up in hell.
I notice that you give to charity. Why?
It makes me feel good and I know I won’t end up in hell.
I noticed that you try and follow the Ten Commandments all the time. Why?
I don’t want to make God angry and feel bad about myself.
Let’s stop the dialogue right there, and let me ask you: for whose sake is the imaginary person acting? Who is the imaginary religious person actually serving? Me. Myself. And I. The person is not doing these deeds for God’s sake. This person is actually self-serving. This person is actually seeking his or her own good. This person is not getting their sense of value, self-worth, safety and security from God–this person is getting their sense of value, self-worth, safety and security FROM THEIR GOOD WORKS. This person has made an idol out of their good works.
And if I feel like I am successful in doing good...
If I feel like I can accomplish living a good and upright moral life...
If I feel like such a life can be lived with making just a few life choices and sacrifices...
Then I can be very, very contemptuous of others who do not live the same kind of life I live. I can look down my nose at them and sneer. I can say they are the ones with the problem, not me. I’m doing good. I’m living right. I’m following God’s commands and worshiping Him. They are the ones with the idols, not me.
WRONG. You have an idol. You just can’t see it. Your self-righteousness blinds you to it. Your idol is your self. Hence every time you think you are doing good, you are simply storing God’s wrath up against yourself. You are not working and doing such things for God, you are doing them for you. While others are flat out rejecting God and turning to false forms of worship knowingly; you are rejecting God and serving yourself.
I have shared my testimony before you in the past, but it bears repeating now, for I do not want you to think that I am pointing fingers again. I learned my lesson from my father and from the brutal reality of my own life. For the bulk of my ministry, I now know that I was serving myself. If you would have told me this five years ago, I would have denied it vehemently!! I was a pastor. I was preaching God’s Word. I was helping a church to grow and do ministry! There was no way I was serving myself.
But after getting burned out, God revealed to me the deepest desires of my heart. I had to confront what I was living for–what I desperately wanted. I wanted to take a church and make it grow from very small to very big. I wanted this to happen because I wanted people to ask me how I did it in the mist of a culture that is more and more reluctant to embrace Christianity. I wanted people to take notice of my preaching and teaching. I wanted to write several books and become a popular author and public speaker. I wanted fame in the church and the obligatory fortune that would come with it. These were the deepest desires of my heart, and when this congregation didn’t grow as expected–when I felt like you weren’t holding up your end of what I thought you should do, then I became contemptuous of you. I became angry with you. You were why the church wasn’t growing. It just couldn’t be me. I was pouring my heart out to make you grow...so that I could reap the rewards. Selfish. Selfish. Selfish. I deserve your contempt and hatred. It is only just. Even in the midst of preaching God’s word and working in the church, I was not serving Him.
This is why Paul pens verse 11, “For God shows no partiality.” It doesn’t matter if you are doing wrong because you flat out reject God or doing right because you are serving yourself. In neither fashion are you worshiping the true God. In neither case are you seeking His glory, honor, or immortality. In both cases you are serving yourself. In both cases, there is a hardness of heart. In both cases sin is abounding, and in both cases, God’s wrath burns hot.
Paul unequivocally shows with these words that both the religious person and the irreligious person are under the condemnation of God. Both the religious person and the irreligious person are pursuing idols. It’s a hard, hard pill to swallow.
But the good news is that there is a cure. We will not hear that cure today. Not yet. There is still more preparatory work to be done on our hearts. There is still more groundwork that needs to be laid, but hang in there. Walk through this time. Feel the anger of God mounting as you realize the depths of your sin. When the gospel is announced–when Paul reveals what God has done, you will understand why it is called amazing grace. Amen.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Deep Hypocrisy
I am a huge hypocrite. I will freely admit it because I have come to see that hypocrisy is a plague that hits just about everyone, and I mean everyone.
I have become consciously aware of this as discussion about the care of Syrian refugees has become a hot topic after the ISIS terrorist attacks in Paris, France.
In much of the media, those who lean left are chiding many conservative Christians who are adamant about not taking in any Syrian refugees. There are many left-leaning clergy who are decrying those in government who are saying, "We will not take any Syrian refugees because of threats to safety." Those in the media and those left-leaning clergy are making their appeals based on references to Scripture.
Matthew 25 is referenced.
Exodus 22 and 23 are referenced
Leviticus 19 is referenced
Luke 10 is referenced
Now, I have no issue with citing such verses. There is clear command in scripture to care for the alien and those in need. Those who point to Christians' lack of adherence to these verse rightly point out our hypocrisy.
But, some folks miss their own, and many who are chiding Christians for failing to follow scripture are those who have minimized the authority of scripture in the past.
For instance, more than a few of those who are speaking loudly about helping the immigrant and chiding Christians for failing to follow scripture have used the following arguments regarding gay marriage:
The Bible is an antiquated book that is not relevant when it comes to this issue.
Or:
The Bible really doesn't condemn homosexuality, and you can read those verses in such and such a manner. (The exegetical gymnastics done here truly are a work of art.)
So, what prevents some of those "conservative" Christians from using the exact same arguments regarding the reception of Syrian immigrants? What prevents "conservative" Christians from saying:
The Bible is an antiquated book, and those Old Testament passages were written for a nation that had the Jewish God as its ultimate authority. The U.S. has the Constitution and is not a theocracy, so Biblical injunctions for a nation to welcome the alien no longer apply.
And Jesus never specifically referenced Syrian aliens. There is a lot of talk about Edomites and Moabites and Canaanites and Samaritains, but nothing about Syrians.
And Matthew 25 (exegetically speaking) is more about those who are not Christian and how they treat Christians.
And Luke 10 is more about my immediate neighbor in need, not someone who is trying to get into my nation.
What is typically done in many instances is using the Bible to justify one's own particular position instead of allowing the Bible to mold one's own position. If the Bible's injunctions do not fit with my ideology, I can minimize them by the above methods. However, if the Bible's injunctions mesh with my own, then I can use them as a hammer to blast my opponents--which is what most of this boils down too anyway, isn't it.
I will find something that conforms to my ideology and then use it to bash those who don't agree with me, usually making them feel contempt for me in the process.
Admit it, those of you who are on the left hand side of things, when "conservatives" use scriptural law to tell you how wrong you are for supporting homosexual marriage or relationships, you get angry with them because you think they are holding you in contempt and are acting self-righteously.
Admit it, those of you who are the right hand side of things, when "liberals" use scriptural law to tell you how you are not caring for the poor and your neighbor, you get angry with them because you think they are holding you in contempt and are acting self-righteously.
And admit it, both of you that you do, in a very real way, have contempt for the other "side." You think "they" are the ones with the problem, and it is "they" who need to change. If they would only see things in your self-righteous way, then all would be well.
And let me ask you both, how is this loving your neighbor as you would love yourself?
Hypocrisy runs deep, doesn't it? (And if you think I am being hypocritical, read sentence #1 again.)
What is your answer to this problem? Is your answer, "I will work harder to lessen my hypocrisy?"
Good luck.
The more you try, you will either fall into despair because you know you are unable to meet the standard, or you will become self-righteous thinking that you are doing a good job and others should follow suit. You will either hate yourself or end up right back where you were in the first place.
Trying harder isn't the answer.
Trusting more is.
Trusting more in the action of the one who was had the authority to point out our hypocrisy because He had none. Trusting in the one who was without sin when we were full of it. Trusting in the action of One who laid down His life for us when we didn't deserve it. Trusting in the One who deeply loves us in the midst of our continued failure.
Because if you know you are a failure, you don't become self-righteous.
Because if you know you are deeply loved, you don't despair.
You hold the two in tension and become humble.
You admit your hypocrisy.
You admit you are no better than those on the other "side."
You admit you are swayed by your ideology.
You admit that you need correcting.
You are less likely to judge the other as the one who needs changing and realize you need to change too.
You know the hypocrisy will never be fully erased, and you throw yourself upon the mercy of the one who truly forgives.
And when you know that forgiveness, you forgive others--even when they don't deserve it.
The cycle is broken.
Because of the Gospel.
I have become consciously aware of this as discussion about the care of Syrian refugees has become a hot topic after the ISIS terrorist attacks in Paris, France.
In much of the media, those who lean left are chiding many conservative Christians who are adamant about not taking in any Syrian refugees. There are many left-leaning clergy who are decrying those in government who are saying, "We will not take any Syrian refugees because of threats to safety." Those in the media and those left-leaning clergy are making their appeals based on references to Scripture.
Matthew 25 is referenced.
Exodus 22 and 23 are referenced
Leviticus 19 is referenced
Luke 10 is referenced
Now, I have no issue with citing such verses. There is clear command in scripture to care for the alien and those in need. Those who point to Christians' lack of adherence to these verse rightly point out our hypocrisy.
But, some folks miss their own, and many who are chiding Christians for failing to follow scripture are those who have minimized the authority of scripture in the past.
For instance, more than a few of those who are speaking loudly about helping the immigrant and chiding Christians for failing to follow scripture have used the following arguments regarding gay marriage:
The Bible is an antiquated book that is not relevant when it comes to this issue.
Or:
The Bible really doesn't condemn homosexuality, and you can read those verses in such and such a manner. (The exegetical gymnastics done here truly are a work of art.)
So, what prevents some of those "conservative" Christians from using the exact same arguments regarding the reception of Syrian immigrants? What prevents "conservative" Christians from saying:
The Bible is an antiquated book, and those Old Testament passages were written for a nation that had the Jewish God as its ultimate authority. The U.S. has the Constitution and is not a theocracy, so Biblical injunctions for a nation to welcome the alien no longer apply.
And Jesus never specifically referenced Syrian aliens. There is a lot of talk about Edomites and Moabites and Canaanites and Samaritains, but nothing about Syrians.
And Matthew 25 (exegetically speaking) is more about those who are not Christian and how they treat Christians.
And Luke 10 is more about my immediate neighbor in need, not someone who is trying to get into my nation.
What is typically done in many instances is using the Bible to justify one's own particular position instead of allowing the Bible to mold one's own position. If the Bible's injunctions do not fit with my ideology, I can minimize them by the above methods. However, if the Bible's injunctions mesh with my own, then I can use them as a hammer to blast my opponents--which is what most of this boils down too anyway, isn't it.
I will find something that conforms to my ideology and then use it to bash those who don't agree with me, usually making them feel contempt for me in the process.
Admit it, those of you who are on the left hand side of things, when "conservatives" use scriptural law to tell you how wrong you are for supporting homosexual marriage or relationships, you get angry with them because you think they are holding you in contempt and are acting self-righteously.
Admit it, those of you who are the right hand side of things, when "liberals" use scriptural law to tell you how you are not caring for the poor and your neighbor, you get angry with them because you think they are holding you in contempt and are acting self-righteously.
And admit it, both of you that you do, in a very real way, have contempt for the other "side." You think "they" are the ones with the problem, and it is "they" who need to change. If they would only see things in your self-righteous way, then all would be well.
And let me ask you both, how is this loving your neighbor as you would love yourself?
Hypocrisy runs deep, doesn't it? (And if you think I am being hypocritical, read sentence #1 again.)
What is your answer to this problem? Is your answer, "I will work harder to lessen my hypocrisy?"
Good luck.
The more you try, you will either fall into despair because you know you are unable to meet the standard, or you will become self-righteous thinking that you are doing a good job and others should follow suit. You will either hate yourself or end up right back where you were in the first place.
Trying harder isn't the answer.
Trusting more is.
Trusting more in the action of the one who was had the authority to point out our hypocrisy because He had none. Trusting in the one who was without sin when we were full of it. Trusting in the action of One who laid down His life for us when we didn't deserve it. Trusting in the One who deeply loves us in the midst of our continued failure.
Because if you know you are a failure, you don't become self-righteous.
Because if you know you are deeply loved, you don't despair.
You hold the two in tension and become humble.
You admit your hypocrisy.
You admit you are no better than those on the other "side."
You admit you are swayed by your ideology.
You admit that you need correcting.
You are less likely to judge the other as the one who needs changing and realize you need to change too.
You know the hypocrisy will never be fully erased, and you throw yourself upon the mercy of the one who truly forgives.
And when you know that forgiveness, you forgive others--even when they don't deserve it.
The cycle is broken.
Because of the Gospel.
Monday, August 18, 2014
The Blind Leading the Blind
No one likes to be told they are wrong. I mean, really, I don’t think I have run across anyone who when confronted with wrongdoing says, “Well, geez, I am so happy that you told me I am wrong. Thank you so much for correcting me and pointing out my flaws. I just don’t know how I could have missed being so wrong about this stuff.”
Anyone ever heard such commentary? Anyone ever said such a thing? Perhaps you have at some point, but most of us don’t really react in such a fashion. Most of us become defensive. Most of us become more entrenched in our points of view. Most of us, when confronted with someone who points out a flaw or tells us we are wrong, seek out someone else who will give us confirmation of our own particular beliefs and understandings.
I thought about this a lot this week in light of the events in Ferguson, MO. As this story unfolds, there has been much finger pointing and blame. There have been many accusations of wrongdoing. Each side says the others is wrong, and each side seems to have difficulty understanding why the other side is so worked up. There seems to be an endless cycle of anger because of the mounting accusations. It's a problem which is not new to our time. It was around even in Jesus' day. There were just different groups. The Pharisees are the classic example which appear in our Gospel lesson.
It is little wonder the Pharisees took offense to what Jesus said regarding what defiles a person. Let’s set the scene for a moment. Jesus tells the crowds following Him, “Listen and understand: 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”
The disciples come up to Jesus and say, “You know, what you said just ticked off the Pharisees.” I’m not exactly sure why the disciples came up to Jesus and said this to Him. Maybe they thought Jesus needed sensitivity training. I mean, maybe even at that time you were supposed to be tolerant of others’ beliefs. You didn’t want to go around insinuating someone might be wrong in what they taught. I mean, what works for you works for you, but what works for someone else works for that person. You shouldn’t try and impose your beliefs on anyone else. Oh, wait, that’s the way many folks think today, and we’ll discuss such matters in a minute or two. But for the time being, let’s move away from why the disciples might have brought this to Jesus attention and think about why the Pharisees were offended.
Jesus had just stepped on their toes in a major way. The Pharisees taught over and over and over that the people of Israel should purify themselves. And if the people of Israel would purify themselves, God would look down upon their purity; their holiness, and be moved to action. What sort of action? Well, to establish the Kingdom of God–that kingdom where all of Israel’s enemies were overthrown, a new king who was a king of justice and wisdom would ascend the thrown and lead the people in righteousness, and the Israelites would become another world power growing in wealth and prosperity and power. The Pharisees believed that if they followed the holiness code contained in the Torah–the first five books of the Old Testament–then God would be forced to act in such a fashion.
And so, the Pharisees lived and breathed and taught the holiness code. They ritually washed their hands according to what the Law proscribed. They only ate certain kinds of food. They abstained from associating with certain types of people. They very much became Biblical literalists according to the Laws of Moses. They were trying to do all the right things. That’s important to hear, so let me say that again, they were trying to do all the right things according to the Laws and Commands of God written in the Bible. And those commands were intended to make a person holy and pure before that person came before God.
So, do you find it as interesting as I do that when Jesus receives word from His disciples that the Pharisees are offended, Jesus isn’t contrite? He isn’t understanding? He isn’t tolerant? He doesn’t say, “Oh, the Pharisees have their way of doing things and believing things, I have my way. They are both different paths to the same place.” Jesus doesn’t apologize. Instead, Jesus blasts the Pharisees. I mean, read what Jesus says, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”
If Jesus was around today to say such a thing, He’d be sent to sensitivity training! How dare Jesus be so closed minded and offensive! Why would Jesus say such a thing? Why would He be so confrontational?
We get an indication as Jesus explains to Peter the meaning of what He said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? 18But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
Here is the point Jesus is making in regards to the Pharisees: they are doing all the right things externally. They are following the Law to a tee. They are following the holiness codes and being good examples of people who follow the Law. Externally, they are clean, but internally, they are filthy! Externally, they follow God’s commands, but internally, they are sinful and broken. And they don’t even realize it. How is this the case?
Let me pull another story from scripture to illustrate the point. The story comes from Luke chapter 7. 36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ 40Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ 41‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ 43Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ 44Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’
Do you see what is going on in this story? Do you see why the Pharisees were considered the “blind leading the blind?” With all of their attention paid to purity and the holiness code, with all their attention given toward following the Law to perfection, they became self-righteous. They thought they were spiritually and morally better than other people. They felt like they could look down their noses at others and judge them as inferior; loved less by God; as sinners. They felt like they could hold others in contempt and say, “I am following the Law, and with effort this person could too. They should work harder to be as holy as I am.” In their hearts, the Pharisees had no compassion; no love. They held many of their neighbors in contempt. They were breaking God’s Law by doing so, for as Jesus pointed out, the two greatest commandments were loving God and then loving one’s neighbor as one’s self. You cannot hold your neighbor in contempt and love them. The two are antithetical. And because the Pharisees were contemptuous, out of them flowed spite and anger and division. And they were absolutely blind to this. They thought they were being holy.
Let’s return for a moment and talk about sensitivity and Jesus’ lack of it. You see, Jesus was insensitive because He refused to kowtow to hypocrisy, and the Pharisees were full of it. While trying to be holy on the outside, they were sinful on the inside. Jesus points this out. And while many cry for sensitivity and tolerance today, it turns out such folks are oftentimes just as hypocritical. How so? Ever known a person who preaches tolerance to freely embrace a bigot? You see a “tolerant” person oftentimes cannot stand someone who is “intolerant” and thus by refusing to be tolerant of the intolerant, the tolerant become intolerant. I’ll pause for just a moment because that can be a little tricky to wrap your head around. The reality is, we are all intolerant at some level. We all are a bit blind. And we don't like it. Can you see why there is such trouble in Ferguson?
Now. Hopefully, you’ve gotten your head around this, and hopefully you understand why Jesus was so hard on the Pharisees. Hopefully you see why He says they are the blind leading the blind. Hopefully you see why Jesus says it’s not what you put into a person that defiles, but it is what comes out of a person that defiles a person. For if someone is broken and sinful inside, they will produce broken and sinful fruit. If a person is holy inside, they will produce good fruit.
But that begs the question: how can I make sure I am good inside? How can I make sure I do not hold my neighbors in contempt? How do I avoid falling into hypocrisy? How can I love my neighbor when I don’t agree with them about religion, politics, or whether to root for Bellville or Sealy? How can I make sure that I am producing the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, generosity, and self-control?
The answer is believe in the Gospel. Believe in what God has done for you. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him. And God did this not when you were perfect; not when you were following His commands; not when you were holy, but precisely when you were none of these things. Jesus died for you while you were sinful. He clothed you with His righteousness when you were wearing the rags of sin. He covered you when you were least deserving of it.
And when you understand this deep in your heart, you are humbled. You know you can’t hold someone in contempt because they don’t follow God’s commands. You weren’t and still don’t follow them completely either. You can’t blame them for being intolerant because you know you are intolerant too. You can’t say they should try harder at being a better person because you know you can’t be a better person without the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Your salvation and redemption was not achieved by you. It was achieved by Jesus on the cross. You have no reason to boast in your efforts, but you have every reason to boast in Jesus’ work. And that work changes you. It changes your heart. People were head over heels this last year about the Disney movie Frozen, and the classic line from the story is, “An act of true love melts a frozen heart.” Christ’s act of true love on the cross not only melts our hearts, but it changes them–it makes them good, so that out of us flows that which is good. Amen.
Anyone ever heard such commentary? Anyone ever said such a thing? Perhaps you have at some point, but most of us don’t really react in such a fashion. Most of us become defensive. Most of us become more entrenched in our points of view. Most of us, when confronted with someone who points out a flaw or tells us we are wrong, seek out someone else who will give us confirmation of our own particular beliefs and understandings.
I thought about this a lot this week in light of the events in Ferguson, MO. As this story unfolds, there has been much finger pointing and blame. There have been many accusations of wrongdoing. Each side says the others is wrong, and each side seems to have difficulty understanding why the other side is so worked up. There seems to be an endless cycle of anger because of the mounting accusations. It's a problem which is not new to our time. It was around even in Jesus' day. There were just different groups. The Pharisees are the classic example which appear in our Gospel lesson.
It is little wonder the Pharisees took offense to what Jesus said regarding what defiles a person. Let’s set the scene for a moment. Jesus tells the crowds following Him, “Listen and understand: 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.”
The disciples come up to Jesus and say, “You know, what you said just ticked off the Pharisees.” I’m not exactly sure why the disciples came up to Jesus and said this to Him. Maybe they thought Jesus needed sensitivity training. I mean, maybe even at that time you were supposed to be tolerant of others’ beliefs. You didn’t want to go around insinuating someone might be wrong in what they taught. I mean, what works for you works for you, but what works for someone else works for that person. You shouldn’t try and impose your beliefs on anyone else. Oh, wait, that’s the way many folks think today, and we’ll discuss such matters in a minute or two. But for the time being, let’s move away from why the disciples might have brought this to Jesus attention and think about why the Pharisees were offended.
Jesus had just stepped on their toes in a major way. The Pharisees taught over and over and over that the people of Israel should purify themselves. And if the people of Israel would purify themselves, God would look down upon their purity; their holiness, and be moved to action. What sort of action? Well, to establish the Kingdom of God–that kingdom where all of Israel’s enemies were overthrown, a new king who was a king of justice and wisdom would ascend the thrown and lead the people in righteousness, and the Israelites would become another world power growing in wealth and prosperity and power. The Pharisees believed that if they followed the holiness code contained in the Torah–the first five books of the Old Testament–then God would be forced to act in such a fashion.
And so, the Pharisees lived and breathed and taught the holiness code. They ritually washed their hands according to what the Law proscribed. They only ate certain kinds of food. They abstained from associating with certain types of people. They very much became Biblical literalists according to the Laws of Moses. They were trying to do all the right things. That’s important to hear, so let me say that again, they were trying to do all the right things according to the Laws and Commands of God written in the Bible. And those commands were intended to make a person holy and pure before that person came before God.
So, do you find it as interesting as I do that when Jesus receives word from His disciples that the Pharisees are offended, Jesus isn’t contrite? He isn’t understanding? He isn’t tolerant? He doesn’t say, “Oh, the Pharisees have their way of doing things and believing things, I have my way. They are both different paths to the same place.” Jesus doesn’t apologize. Instead, Jesus blasts the Pharisees. I mean, read what Jesus says, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”
If Jesus was around today to say such a thing, He’d be sent to sensitivity training! How dare Jesus be so closed minded and offensive! Why would Jesus say such a thing? Why would He be so confrontational?
We get an indication as Jesus explains to Peter the meaning of what He said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? 18But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
Here is the point Jesus is making in regards to the Pharisees: they are doing all the right things externally. They are following the Law to a tee. They are following the holiness codes and being good examples of people who follow the Law. Externally, they are clean, but internally, they are filthy! Externally, they follow God’s commands, but internally, they are sinful and broken. And they don’t even realize it. How is this the case?
Let me pull another story from scripture to illustrate the point. The story comes from Luke chapter 7. 36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.’ 40Jesus spoke up and said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘speak.’ 41‘A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?’ 43Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one for whom he cancelled the greater debt.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ 44Then turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.’
Do you see what is going on in this story? Do you see why the Pharisees were considered the “blind leading the blind?” With all of their attention paid to purity and the holiness code, with all their attention given toward following the Law to perfection, they became self-righteous. They thought they were spiritually and morally better than other people. They felt like they could look down their noses at others and judge them as inferior; loved less by God; as sinners. They felt like they could hold others in contempt and say, “I am following the Law, and with effort this person could too. They should work harder to be as holy as I am.” In their hearts, the Pharisees had no compassion; no love. They held many of their neighbors in contempt. They were breaking God’s Law by doing so, for as Jesus pointed out, the two greatest commandments were loving God and then loving one’s neighbor as one’s self. You cannot hold your neighbor in contempt and love them. The two are antithetical. And because the Pharisees were contemptuous, out of them flowed spite and anger and division. And they were absolutely blind to this. They thought they were being holy.
Let’s return for a moment and talk about sensitivity and Jesus’ lack of it. You see, Jesus was insensitive because He refused to kowtow to hypocrisy, and the Pharisees were full of it. While trying to be holy on the outside, they were sinful on the inside. Jesus points this out. And while many cry for sensitivity and tolerance today, it turns out such folks are oftentimes just as hypocritical. How so? Ever known a person who preaches tolerance to freely embrace a bigot? You see a “tolerant” person oftentimes cannot stand someone who is “intolerant” and thus by refusing to be tolerant of the intolerant, the tolerant become intolerant. I’ll pause for just a moment because that can be a little tricky to wrap your head around. The reality is, we are all intolerant at some level. We all are a bit blind. And we don't like it. Can you see why there is such trouble in Ferguson?
Now. Hopefully, you’ve gotten your head around this, and hopefully you understand why Jesus was so hard on the Pharisees. Hopefully you see why He says they are the blind leading the blind. Hopefully you see why Jesus says it’s not what you put into a person that defiles, but it is what comes out of a person that defiles a person. For if someone is broken and sinful inside, they will produce broken and sinful fruit. If a person is holy inside, they will produce good fruit.
But that begs the question: how can I make sure I am good inside? How can I make sure I do not hold my neighbors in contempt? How do I avoid falling into hypocrisy? How can I love my neighbor when I don’t agree with them about religion, politics, or whether to root for Bellville or Sealy? How can I make sure that I am producing the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, generosity, and self-control?
The answer is believe in the Gospel. Believe in what God has done for you. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him. And God did this not when you were perfect; not when you were following His commands; not when you were holy, but precisely when you were none of these things. Jesus died for you while you were sinful. He clothed you with His righteousness when you were wearing the rags of sin. He covered you when you were least deserving of it.
And when you understand this deep in your heart, you are humbled. You know you can’t hold someone in contempt because they don’t follow God’s commands. You weren’t and still don’t follow them completely either. You can’t blame them for being intolerant because you know you are intolerant too. You can’t say they should try harder at being a better person because you know you can’t be a better person without the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Your salvation and redemption was not achieved by you. It was achieved by Jesus on the cross. You have no reason to boast in your efforts, but you have every reason to boast in Jesus’ work. And that work changes you. It changes your heart. People were head over heels this last year about the Disney movie Frozen, and the classic line from the story is, “An act of true love melts a frozen heart.” Christ’s act of true love on the cross not only melts our hearts, but it changes them–it makes them good, so that out of us flows that which is good. Amen.
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