The Pharisee in Us

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

 

Jesus was a person of such magnetism that he drew people to him by the thousands. The people who were most attracted to him, however, were those who were considered “sinners” by the religious leaders of his time. They found him someone who was compassionate and understanding and, consequently, they loved to be around him. The leaders, however, began to grumble. They said, “How can this guy hang out with such low-life’s.” And when we hear this story we think, “My goodness. These leaders were such terrible people!”

 

Now, I am going to ask you a question, and I would like you to be honest. There’s nobody around to hear what you think but you. If you were to see your pastor or parish priest sitting in a bar in a red light area of town talking to a woman who from all appearances is a prostitute what is the first conclusion you will draw? Wouldn’t you think he was getting drunk and soliciting a woman for sexual favors? Like, I said, be honest. So, now are you really surprised that the religious leaders thought badly of Jesus?

 

I don’t know how, but it seems like we have become very much like the Pharisees. If we were to honestly compare the way they thought and behaved and spoke with how we think and behave and speak, we would see how little difference there is between them and us. We have become a self-righteous, condemning, judgmental people without even realizing it. Consequently, we don’t realize that most of Jesus’ attacks against the Pharisees are actually attacks against us. No?

 

It is never too late to change. Jesus loved the Pharisees, and he so wanted them to be saved. As we saw a few days earlier, he said with such deep sorrow in his heart: “How often have I longed to gather you together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34). They were not willing, but let us be. Let us go to him, repenting for our self-righteousness, our judgmentalism, and other hard-hearted attitudes, and know that there will be forgiveness awaiting us.

 

And great will be the rejoicing in heaven. 

Watch a video of this reflection by Aneel Aranha here: https://youtu.be/z6Jmoc-Nhx4