Chasing Pharisees

Pharisees.

It's a great label for certain deserving folk... nice and strong.

I like to think I can smell a Pharisee from a long ways off, and I love to name one when I see one.

But... as they say... it takes one to know one. I'm not free of the charge myself. Legalistic? Well, not entirely. Judgemental? Oh, my. Yes, judgemental.

In fact, I'm so judgmental, I chase after Pharisees for the sole purpose of letting them know that they are Pharisees. Problem is, I cannot remember Jesus ever chasing down a Pharisee. They chased him down plenty! But he... I just cannot recall an incident where he went in search of one.

I suppose a few words of caution are in order here. First, it is indeed in the purview of prophets to bring God's (sometimes unpleasant) messages to (sometimes unrepentant) people. Prophets sometimes chase Pharisees.

So when I (or anyone else) play the game of chasing Pharisees, the big question is this: Am I redeeming God's name as a Prophet? Or am I redeeming my own name as a Pharisee?

Redeeming my own name? What do I mean by that? Well, when I'm a Pharisee, I chase people down for two main reasons:

1) To show them how awful they have been to me. If I can do this, my name rises as their name falls.

2) To show them how awful they are as people. If I can do this, my world-view rises as theirs falls.

In either case I'm redeeming something of myself. At their cost.

Now surely it is true that sometimes people have been awful. And sometimes their beliefs and lives are in a terrible state. Granted. But when I go after someone so as to redeem my name or my views, I'm on my business. Not God's. And it always becomes clear that this is so by the way I treat them.

That's not to say that prophets are nice by way of comparison. The difference is that Pharisees leave other people in no doubt of their own judgment. That can be ignored. Prophets leave people in no doubt of God's judgement. That can get you killed, as biblical accounts amply demonstrate.

Another observation on the difference between Prophets and Pharisees: the former risk their lives when they rebuke people, wherease the latter generally prefer to operate from a position of safety. Jesus was always quite safe when the Pharisees were feeling afraid. It is delightful to note, in sharp contrast, that Jesus did not feel (or act) afraid when the Pharisees were feeling safe.

All that to say... Our true motives in moments like these are revealed when something bigger is on the line. A candid personal observation: I note that my inclination to refrain from criticizing someone to their face is directly proportional to that person's ability to make my life miserable.

God, give me a heart to proclaim your name and your business when you call me to do so – whether it's safe or not.

And please grant me the wisdom to know better than to chase down Pharisees for reasons of my own.