I Denounced the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees

Meditations based on readings from

The Story of My Life As Told by Jesus Christ

September 16, 2019

I Denounced the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees

Page 105-106 

Luke 11: 37-54

The life in Christ is a life of grace. Jesus’ comments to the Pharisees and experts in religious law summarized succinctly the differences between law and grace: “For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden” (Luke 11:46b).

Law says do; grace says done.

Law emphasizes what man does; grace emphasizes what God does.

Law lives out of the flesh life (self-life); grace lives out of the Spirit (Christ-Life). Law's primary focus is ought to, should've, have to and must;

grace's primary focus is on want to.

Law declares do, in order to be; grace declares you are, therefore do.

Law produces guilt and condemnation; grace produces acceptance and security. Law leads to defeat; grace leads to victory!

The perspective of legalism and a life in grace are polar opposites. In today’s passage, Jesus is very confrontational with the political and religious leaders because their legalism was destroying Israel.  Jesus could see that all the years of national frustration were reaching a boiling point of rebellion against their oppressors. Their frustration was not limited to political matters. The people were also reaching a point of rebellion against their national identity as God’s Covenant people. Jesus was calling the people to repentance and to the ways of peace, lest in their frustration they would lose everything. The people did not heed Jesus’ call to a new way of living, and the Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem approximately thirty years later.

If Jesus were walking through our times, with whom would he have this conversation? I can think of a long list of persons and groups who would feel the sting of his indictment. Certainly our major political parties, and assorted other special interest groups, would feel the sting of his indictment. These groups are so addicted to power, they do all in their might to stifle dialog.

The Pharisees and Religious Teachers (as well as the groups above) had an agenda and Jesus confronted them with the truth that their pursuit of their agenda was having a severe negative impact on the people.

My Takeaway: What does Jesus have to say to the churches of our time as they pursue their agendas for living out what they believe? The communities around our churches know nothing of our scriptures or mission. All they know about us comes from their observations of how we interact with each other and the world around us. Do they see Pharisees and experts in religious law? Or do they see people who love their God of mercy and grace with all of their heart, mind, soul and strength? Do they see people who love their neighbors as they love themselves? 

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2019 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

• Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

• The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.