The Problem with Pharisees

"Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they love to parade in flowing robes and to have everyone bow to them as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. But they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then, to cover up the kind of people they really are, they make long prayers in public. Because of this, their punishment will be the greater." Luke 20:46-47

I've been noticing a disturbing trend lately, among Christians, especially those belonging to the 'Fundamentalist' persuasion. We've become stodgy and set in our ways and so concerned with appearing righteous that the really important things that Christ came to teach us are being lost. In essence we've become Pharisees.

Where I think this really comes out is in the selective Christianity that most people practice. This is the version of Christianity where we get to pick two or three things that really chafe us, and then form religious armies to mobilize and basically do everything possible to break the offenders down and do away with them. This is especially abhorant to me when it enters the political arena and we start electing presidents and prime ministers based on their support or opposition to our two "Biblical" issues.

What we love to ignore is the fact that gays and abortion are not the two most important issues talked about in the Bible. In fact, I don't know that I've ever seen anything in the Bible that mentions abortion, and while homosexuality (in practice, not in temptation) is definately a sin, it also isn't mentioned more than a handful of times. The fact is that Jesus spent more time talking about money and the abuse of money than about any other subject. Jesus taught far more about social justice - taking care of widows, orphans and the poor, than he ever did about the evils of homosexuality and abortion.

And yet, we Christians in our wisdom have decided that rallying against same-sex marriage and picketing abortion clinics are the only things that really matter to God. Forget fighting for economic reform, social justice or the stewardship of the environment, those aren't matters for real Christians but for hippies and democrats.

Well God does not allow, anywhere in the scriptures, for us to be selective about our faith. If we are going to mobilize 1000 people to protest same-sex marriage, we had better already have mobilized 10,000 people to feed the hungry and build homes for the homeless, because those are the issues that God cares about - more than anything else he loves his people. Our greatest command is to love one another, not to persecute sinners.

The fact is, Christians no longer have any credibility because the world only sees us calling people down and rebuking their sins, but not caring for them or loving them. If as many Christians would unite in the name of social justice, the environment and the care and provision for the needy, the world would listen to us when we correct it its wrongdoings.

But instead we practice selective Christianity, and the most important parts of Jesus' message are lost to the world.

"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law--justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things." Matthew 23:23