Our daily reflections follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan, designed for those who want to read the whole Bible in one year. Each reflection focuses on one of the chapters from that day's readings. Darllenwch rhain yn Gymraeg.
Lord, have mercy. Cleanse me. Still my mind. Help me to listen as you speak.
In Jesus’ day, different groups of people responded to Roman occupation in different ways. The upper class clergy, the Sadducees, sought appeasement and the Essenes withdrew into monastic life, whereas the Zealots plotted political revolt.
We saw Jesus cross swords with some Sadducees in yesterday’s passage. The Essenes may have influenced the teaching of his predecessor, John the Baptist. There was at least one former Zealot among his disciples. But those Jesus really had it in for were a different group: the Pharisees.
Before we come down too hard on them, it is worth noting that the legacy of the Pharisees helped Judaism survive the traumatic destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the subsequent scattering of the Jews across the nations. Our historic records portray the Pharisees as being very serious about the Torah. So why does Jesus keep calling them hypocrites?
What he seems to be getting at was a perfectionism that rather than making them conscious of their shortcomings, made them supercilious and unkind. They rejected the transparency, humility and inclusivity at the heart of the Jesus movement. The question for us is, who would feel more at home in our churches: the Pharisees or the Nazarene and his entourage of tax collectors and sinners?
Lord, give me the courage to admit my sin and to welcome sinners as you did.
This reflection was written by Michael Pfundner, Bible Society's Publishing Support Manager
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