Modern-Day Pharisee

I don't know about you, but one of my biggest pet-peeves is the Modern-Day Pharisee. Those that "say and do not." (Matt. 23:2-3) I'm talking about the full-force hypocrite. The person that acts "holier than thou" on Sundays or around their Christian acquaintances, and parties on Saturday nights. The type that praises God in front of men, and do their own will behind close doors, or around their non-Christian acquaintances. The type that stop worshipping God when they leave the church building on Sunday afternoons. But you know what? If we're all honest, we could probably admit to doing some of these things ourselves. For instance, take myself-I advocate going to church, but in reality we rarely make it to anything other than Sunday morning service. And boy, can we come up with the excuses... "We're tired. It's a 30-minute drive for us. My daughter is cranky. My daughter's feeding schedule doesn't align with church time. I don't know which class I would go to. I don't want to go by myself. The list could probably go on. Yes, we're all sinners. Romans 3:10 tells us that. "There is none righteous, no not one." And 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

The difference, then, between the sinner and the Pharisee-the hypocrite? The Pharisee protests to be perfect. They parade around judging others, never admitting to sin, putting on a show for man, that they are Godly. The true Christian sinner admits he is not perfect, but steadily tries. Goes to church not for show, but for help and encouragement, seeks to do God's will regardless of the praise or acknowledgment he might get from man.

The modern-day Pharisee really hasn't changed that much since Jesus' day. In Matt. 22, they tried to trap Jesus and test Him, trying to show He was not who He said He was. The modern Pharisee does the same to Christians they are threatened by, envious of, or that isn't like them. The Pharisees dress in the finest clothing and look down on those who don't. They call themselves Father, Brother, or Sister, in public to make known to men they are saved. Jesus says in Matt. 23: 25-56: