Modern day Pharisees

Imagine being a Jew in the year 30 AD, one who believed that God spoke through the 39 books of the Old Testament. The religious leaders of the day said that the "law" (five books of Moses) contained hundreds of "commandments". They taught that it was the duty of every Jew to obey these commandments.

Then John the Baptist appeared like a "modern day" Elijah. He was like one of the prophets they had read about, challenging people to improve on their commitment to the God of Israel. He got many Jews to confess their sins. However, it must have seemed nearly impossible to keep all the commandments. "Pleasing God" could be a full time job, leaving no time for making a living.

Into this world Jesus came and reinterpreted the "law". The sermon on the mount is permeated with the refrain "you have heard ... but I say to you". He "broke" the Sabbath, according to their narrow interpretation of it. He ate with unwashed hands and partied with the worst of sinners such as Zaccheus. He defied conventional etiquette by having a religious conversation with a Samaritan woman of ill repute. He did not bother to make friends with the "rabbis" but rather alienated them. It is hardly strange that they hated him.

Today there are those who have their Christianity so neatly tied up in their heads, much like the Pharisees of Jesus' day. Their main concern is not that millions are leaving the organised church because of the perception that it is judgemental and exclusive. They rather busy themselves with criticising Christians who don't serve God their narrowminded way. They target those who give their lives to make the world a better place and those who invite the unchurched to meetings which will not bore them to tears. They are unable to see the hand of God at work outside their little worlds.

It would be funny, if it was not so sad, that many who accuse the "seeker sensitive" churches of "watering down" the gospel, are political animals. Rick Warren is criticised for cooperating with Muslims in education and healthcare, but the government is criticised for not doing enough in those areas. On the one hand they want their brand of Christian ethics forced down everybody's throat (Muslim included) by a secular goverment. On the other hand they refuse to give credit to Christians who teach ethics through persuasion rather than force.