Monday, January 11, 2010

Calling them Out?

Each day I will be posting from the daily Bible Reading plan we will be doing at West Side. On weekdays we will be going through the New Testament. On the weekends we will read passages from the Old Testament books of Psalms and Proverbs. We invite you to join along.

So while reading today’s reading (Matthew 7) I could not help but think of the Pharisee. The presence of this group of Jewish men is never mentioned in this passage but you could almost guess that some are present. With the words Jesus uses, I am sure they were on the minds of the people there.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your bothers’ eye and pay not attention to the plank in your own eye?”

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

Now Jesus never mentions the ruling class of Jewish clergy, but I am sure they were on his mind. Jesus is bold in the statements that he makes, and soon we will see him call them out. I do know this, the Pharisees were on the minds of the people … “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teachings, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

If you examined your heart, would you classify yourself as a Pharisee? I know at times I could.

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