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\nTo see oursels as others see us!
\nIt wad frae monie a blunder free us,
\nAn’ foolish notion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert Burns, the Scottish poet wrote:<\/p>\n
\u201cO, wad some Power the giftie gie us
\nTo see oursels as others see us!
\nIt wad frae monie a blunder free us,
\nAn’ foolish notion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Translation minus the Scottish brogue:<\/p>\n
\u201cO, would some power the gift He give us
\nTo see ourselves as others see us!
\nIt would from many a blunder free us,
\nAnd foolish notion.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Pharisees have gotten a lot of bad press over the years. In the Gospels Jesus repeatedly calls\u00a0them to account. In spite of this appropriate and\u00a0targeted criticism, we moderns will do well to refrain from\u00a0pointing a judgmental, accusatory finger at them. Otherwise, we will\u00a0find ourselves acting much like they did. So rather than\u00a0railing against them, perhaps we should even thank them. “Thank them?” you say? \u00a0“How so?”<\/p>\n
Stereotypes do not arise ex nihilo. They are usually generated by a substantial pool of underlying empirical evidence. In other words, they emerge from discernible patterns of behavior. The danger, of course, is the failure to recognize the existence of any (and sometimes many!) exceptions to what is often only a very broad general rule, and to assume that all members of a particular group share ALL the character traits and behavioral patterns of that group.<\/p>\n
Were all Pharisees \u201cbad\u201d Pharisees? Of course not. Nevertheless, Jesus\u2019 frequent and stern rebukes of the Pharisees stand as evidence that many of these \u201creligious\u201d folks had a wrong understanding of their relationship with God, and, for that matter, a wrong understanding of God Himself.<\/p>\n
Although Jesus at least (only?) once charged the Sadducees with incorrect doctrine (resurrection of the dead, Mark 12:24 and parallels), he never criticized the Pharisees for doctrinal error. New Testament Scholar, Craig Blomberg, describes the Pharisees as the \u201cconservative evangelical pastors of their day.\u201d Jesus\u2019 problem with the Pharisees was neither their doctrine nor their conduct (religious practices), but their posture. By \u201cposture\u201d I do not mean strictly physical posture (sitting down, standing up, or lying down). I mean an approach or attitude toward something or someone, and more pointedly, a pose that is intended to give a false impression.<\/p>\n
The human psyche is complex. Understanding why we do the things we do is not always a simple matter. I suspect that like many of us, many of the Pharisees were not consciously aware of the disconnect between their preaching and their true beliefs. This is precisely why Jesus issued them a wake-up call. We can say we believe certain things, but our posture may reveal a radically different story.<\/p>\n
For example, we can say we believe that God is a loving, kind, merciful, caring heavenly Father, but if our posture, our approach to him, our way of interacting with him, is the type used when interacting with a harsh, condemning, judgmental, vindictive critical parent, it is quite apparent that we don\u2019t really \u201cbelieve\u201d what we claim to believe. This breach of integrity is harmful on both sides of this equation. It is harmful to the hypocrite, and it is harmful to those who witness the hypocrite\u2019s hypocrisy.<\/p>\n
I have been privileged to hear leading Christian psychologist, Dr. Richard Dobbins, speak in many and various venues over the years. Invariably, somewhere in his presentation he offers this life principle: \u201cWe don\u2019t live with the events of our past; we live with the story we tell ourselves about the events of our past.\u201d Our interpretation of certain life experiences may be entirely wrong, but it will still affect the way we posture ourselves for the rest of our lives\u2014in very negative and destructive ways.<\/p>\n
The good news is that we are not doomed. We can confront and counteract this wrongheaded self-delusion. Recognition is the first step. It is painful and shameful, but it is critical to the healing process. Next, through prayer and quiet meditation, we must open our heart to the \u201cspiritual searchlight\u201d of the Holy Spirit to identify those experiences we have not processed properly (note: we may also engage godly, competent friends and\/or professional counselors to help in this area). Third, we must reprogram our mind to process all life experiences in a proper, godly way (Romans 12:2).<\/p>\n
For those who are saying, \u201cYes, but how?\u201d here are a few suggestions: private, daily devotional prayer and Bible reading will restore integrity between what we say we believe and what we really believe! BUT POSTURE IS CRITICAL! We must be willing to admit our error and be willing to change our posture toward God and people in light of the truth we now recognize. PROBLEM: The Bible is not a magic book. If you read it through the distorted lenses of your prior wrongheaded assumptions about the nature of God, or of His will and purposes, you will merely use the Bible to \u201crubberstamp\u201d your self-deception. SOLUTION: seek out churches that offer competent interpreters and expositors of God\u2019s word, communities of faith that will challenge and hone your theological understanding. Avail yourself of resources that will help you properly interpret the Scriptures apply them to your life.<\/p>\n