MODERN DAY PHARISEES!

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." (Matthew 23:15, ESV).

The Pharisees who lived during the time of Christ were quite zealous for their efforts in winning people to Judaism. However, they really lacked in the areas of showing love, justice, mercy, and faith. When the Lord Jesus renounced the Pharisees, He pointed out this very thing (see 23:23). Because Pharisees were not known for their love, they could be cruel indignant, and arrogant. This certainly can be seen in their ill treatment of their Messiah, Jesus Christ that their Old Testament Scriptures prophecied about. Sadly, do we not see this type of attitude creeping into our local Churches today? Sure, some of us may be just as zealous in winning souls to Christ today as the Scribes and Pharisees were in their effort to proselytize people to Judaism. Sadly, for many of God's children today, that is not the only thing we have emulated from the ancient Pharisees. Unfortunately, we have adopted their cold, unloving, harsh, indifferent, and legalistic ways as well. The believers in many local Churches today have become quite Self-centered, when they should be Christ-centered. God forbid if this is true of us.

So what are some of the Symptoms we need to watch out for in regards to Phariseeism?

(1.) Pharisees love the praise of men. For Matthew writes, “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." (Matthew 6:5, ESV). Again Matthew says, "They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long," (Matthew 23:5, ESV). Notice what Jesus says here "that they may be seen by others" and "to be seen by others." The scribes and Pharisees were NOT concerned about bringing glory to God, for they wanted the glory for themselves. They were more concerned about drawing attention to themselves, rather than to the Lord. They desired the approval of man rather than God's approval. Hence, the Lord Jesus says of them, "Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward."

(2.) Phariseeism is legalism. Their focus was more on the letter of the law then the Spirit of the law. They were also more taken up with keeping the traditions of the fathers, than they were the Holy Scriptures; they were more interested in condemning people then they were commending them; they majored on the minors and minored on the major issues. Not much has changed since then. There are modern day Pharisees within the body of Christ who do the same thing today. Often legalistic Christians will pressure other believers to feel they have to measure up to their standard of righteousness.

(3.) Phariseeism glorifies the FLESH, therefore robbing God of the glory due to His name; whereas the Christ centered believer glorifies Christ in the SPIRIT, therefore rightly taking back from the flesh the glory that only belongs to God! May the Lord preserve us from adopting a Pharisee attitude as we seek to live and serve our beloved Lord Jesus Christ.