Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Religious leader-Pharisee

Jesus also taught "Beware of these teachers of religious law!  For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces.  And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets.  Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public.  Because of this, they will be more severely punished."

Earlier in the chapter Jesus answers what the most important comandment is "And you must love your Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.  The second is equally important; Love your neighbor as yourself, no other commandment is greater than these."

Sometimes I wonder just how much Pharisee I have in me.  I read the scriptures and I see some things the Pharisees did and I notice that its not exactly far off from things that I have found myself doing.  Being in a position where I work at the church, in a religious enviornment I think I run the risk of becoming more and more Pharisee if I don't hold onto what Jesus taught about the greatest commandment.  If we aren't holding on tight to his words of love.  We run the risk of becoming bitter.  jealous.  judgemental.  We run the risk of thinking value is found in how others see you.  Where you sit at the table.  When you are called to go to lunch and who you are called to go to lunch with.  We get prideful.  I get prideful.  I see people who dig me, like me and I forget that the me I am is all because of Jesus.  I start believing that I have everything to do with making me who I am.  No.  Jesus made me who I am.  I would be nothing without him.  He has given me the confidence and the love to be me.

My goal this week is to remember to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  And to love others.  Jesus deserves all the praise.  Forgive my sinful sometimes Pharisee heart. 

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