Observation: Here is something that likely most who have read the bible intuitively understand but is rarely talked about ... Pharisees aren't really a 'thing' to God or the Jewish belief faith. They aren't part of any Levitical order, nor are they part of any group of priests and Levites established by scripture. They aren't a clan of any tribe that was assigned a particular duty by Moses nor any king. In fact, the function they perform - leading by example the practices and rituals and lessons taught in scripture - is not a function that is even mentioned or assigned to any group in scripture.
Pharisees are literally a sect of Jewish scholars, whose classification and qualifications were created by Jewish scholars, with functions defined by Jewish scholars, for the purpose of ... being honored as Jewish scholars. They only formed around 150 BC, seemingly with the purpose of creating a group of people who had memorized scripture and thus could 'declare' it orally instead of through reading in the synagogue, and who then began declaring that certain rituals contained in scripture applied to everyone and not just priests and Levites.
In other words, they are not in any way established by the Lord. In fact, their existence - while perhaps well-intended as a means to offer access to the word of God - may contradict that very word, as the Lord ordered parents to teach their children about the word of God, and kings and priests to read the word aloud.
Application: I believe Jesus established his Church (capital 'C'), and thus the general approach to Christianity today exists under the Lord's plan. However, I am very, very aware that many of the structures and practices that churches adhere to are not part of that plan. This begs the question, what aspects of Christianity did the Lord plant, and which will be pulled up by the roots?
Honestly, I look at church practices in places like north Africa, China, and Persia for the core elements of Christian living that Jesus established. They meet together, share social time and meals, read and discuss the word, joyfully sing worship and praise, express forgiveness and encourage repentance for sin, uphold each other during strife and persecution, unite to express love to others, and tell non-believers about the hope found in Jesus. These are specifically the things Jesus did with his disciples and commanded them to continue.
Belief in Jesus as the resurrected Messiah and our Lord and savior of life is the definition of faith, but doing these other core things is the activity Jesus taught us to do as the response to that faith.
What didn't he tell us to do? He didn't tell us to make the study other books written by earthly writers part of our gathering time. He didn't tell us to join protests. He didn't tell us to chant in Latin. He didn't tell us to create 'constitutions' to run global organizations. He didn't tell us to wear certain clothes, be they overtly plain or uniquely ornate. And he sure didn't tell us to argue with each other over the definition of things like 'sin' and 'love' and 'worship' and 'forgiveness' and 'meals' and 'uphold'.
Yes, I have both participated in and argued about some of these things. Yes, I have been a Pharisee. I sure don't want to be, and I truly want to focus on just the work that the Lord defined and commanded. I want to see so many pharisaical practices pulled out by the root, and I want to grow stronger as a disciple.
Prayer: Lord, may thy will be done, and especially by your Church. Give us wisdom to focus on the truth you planted and the instructions you gave, and to set aside the practices and traditions we ourselves invented that likely draw our attention away from your purposes. Amen.
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