Pharisee

 If I’d have been born a man

Over two-thousands years ago

In Israel,

And I’d have gotten to choose my own path,

Then chances are good that

I’d have been a Scribe or Pharisee.

Pharisees were religious Jews who practiced strict observance of written Biblical laws as well as oral/man-made laws.

Scribes were teachers of the law. They specialized in expounding on the teaching of the Old Testament and oral laws. All religious instruction was provided by the Scribes.

In many ways, Scribes and Pharisees were decent people.

They extended Jewish practices into life outside the temple.

They promoted belief in an afterlife.

They instilled faithfulness in the common people.

They made sure future generations of Jews understood the law and the prophets.

They were faithful synagogue attendees who offered sacrifices according to the law.

They were faithful religious leaders who sought to understand God and serve God by living a holy life.

They were devoted. They were committed. They were zealous. They even went so far as to create new laws to keep one from going astray.

They were doing the very best they could do to be in God’s favor.

I would have been a Scribe or Pharisee—

Devoted, committed, zealous, trying to live a holy life.

The question is:

Would I have let Jesus save me?

Would I have let Jesus free me from the impossibilities of the law?

Would I have let Jesus open my eyes to the world and see all of the many people who didn’t fit my limited definition of God’s child?

I’d like to think that I would have.

I’d like to think that I’d have dropped everything to follow Jesus.

But I don’t know.

Because it would have been hard.

And it would have been scary.

And it would have felt weird.

And the outcome wouldn’t have been known.

 

If I’m not careful,

Then I,

A 21^st century American female,

Who has grown up in the church,

Who has done everything I can to be a devoted, committed, zealous Christian,

Who tries to live a holy life,

Could easily become a modern-day Scribe or Pharisee.

 

Oh God: You have freed us from the law. Help us to live into that freedom and to see the world as you see it—not random, or haphazard, or without order, but with Love. Help us to get down to the heart of the matter even when we don’t understand it: Love. Help families to love family members. Help friends to love friends. Help strangers to love strangers. And help us to let you do the work of the transforming lives instead of thinking that we have the power to change anyone else. We try to change those we love through passive and aggressive means. We try. And we fail. So help us to stop trying. And help us, quite simply, to Love. Amen.