| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | On the Road Podcast | Website |
Welcome Back! Today, we’ll be looking at the Gospel of Luke to see what Jesus thought about the proud religious leaders of His day.
So let’s dive in.
Luke 16:14–18
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus. So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God. The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law. Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
My Thoughts
If you thought being a lover of money was bad, hang on to your seats! When the Pharisees started jeering Jesus for His teaching on money, they lit the fuse. The story was probably a nice way to point out a person’s weaknesses in poor stewardship. But when the religious leaders acted all uppity and failed to repent, Jesus let them have it.
Listen to the laundry list of sins Jesus checks off in machine gun fashion;
- Lovers of Money
- Religious Show Offs
- Hypocrites
- Ungodly and Worldly Priorities
- Ignoring the Prophets
- Usurping the Good News of the Kingdom
- Breaking the Commandments
- Divorce and Committing Adultery
And this is the short list. These guys were terrible!
But you know what? Jesus died for them too. And as people who know the Scriptures and minister to others we can fall into the same traps. So we dare not get all uppity either by judging and condemning the judgmental hypocrites.
What’s the difference between a good Pharisee and a bad one? The good one knows he’s bad!
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your rebukes that are quickly followed by mercy and forgiveness when we repent!
My Story
My friend announced to the group, “Chuck thinks we’re all a bunch of Pharisees!”
Now how do you respond to a statement like that?!
Quite frankly, I didn’t. The conversation was bulldozed by my friend with his own personal opinions. But I still left shocked, a little embarrassed and a bit ticked off at my friend for diming me out. I still remember that stinging situation and here’s how I would answer that accusation if I were given a chance today.
“Yes, you’re all a bunch of Pharisees. And I’m a Pharisee too. All of us with a little spiritual maturity have “the gift of criticism” and we are not afraid to express our judgments!” (At least in our own heads). It’s true though isn’t it? That’s why I coined the joke;
“What’s the difference between a good Pharisee and a bad one? The good one knows he’s bad!”
It reminds me that I could very quickly get all uppity too and find myself on the pointy end of Jesus’ rebuke.
Our Action Plan
Now it’s time for application. Here’s some questions and ideas:
- Do a heart inventory – Are we letting the pride and criticism of the Pharisees creep in?
- Do a Bible study with those you are mentoring on how Jesus dealt with pride.
- Confess the sin of pride, a critical spirit, or judgmental attitude to a brother or sister.
As disciple makers, we tend to be one step ahead of those we mentor. And like the Pharisees and even some of Jesus’ disciples we can let it all go to our heads. Instead of making the Pharisees the bad guys in the story let’s see them as our own reflection and a warning when we let pride go unchecked.
Organic Writing – No Artificial Intelligence or Sweeteners Added
| Gospel Sync | Kingdom Kernels | On the Road Podcast | Website |
