Modern-day Pharisees

I am sitting in my grandmother’s room at the retirement home where she has been living for several years now.  Next month she will turn 95.  She has had good health all her life. She came to the retirement home when she lost most of her sight to glaucoma and macular degeneration.  Now, her physical health is declining and her once sharp mind is slipping away rapidly.  I am here because she needs someone with her around the clock.  She has become unsteady on her feet – even with a walker.  She fell a couple of weeks ago and injured her chin.  She was very fortunate that was the extent of her injuries.

I have tried to talk to her about spiritual things, but she is not interested. Her brother-in-law was extremely zealous in his faith.  His zeal destroyed any interest my grandmother may ever have had in God.  This man was a preacher in his denomination.  He was very zealous for the rules of his faith:

In order to protect people from gambling, it was determined that playing cards was evil-- even card games that did not involve money.

In order to protect people from the lewdness of some dancing, all dancing was forbidden – even square dancing or other dancing that has nothing remotely sexual.

In order to make sure that women did not dress like men, they were forbidden to wear slacks – even very feminine ones.

In order to prevent anyone from becoming drunk, it was considered sin to go near alcohol – even though Jesus Christ Himself turned water into wine.

My grandmother and her side of the family were condemned to hell for practising things in the list above.  Not one of the things on that list is specifically forbidden in Scripture.  As I mentioned, Jesus turned water into wine.  And know what? He didn’t just make a little. It was nearing the end of the celebrations and there were probably some who had already had too much to drink.  Yet Jesus had three large cisterns filled with water, and he converted all of that water to the best wine the Master of Ceremonies had ever tasted.  He didn’t give a lecture on wise drinking either!

This great uncle of mine was a modern day Pharisee.  He was more concerned about his rules than the message of grace and mercy that Jesus came to bring.  His condemnation and judgement has left my family very bitter to the name of Christ.

Some people err on the side of abusing grace.  They live like pagans (or worse) and thus defame God’s name.  This is a terrible sin.  This is why the Israelites were taken into captivity.  Their morals and idolatry had become worse than the pagans around them.  I have address this in some previous posts.

However, some of us become super religious.  The outside of our “cup” is clean and polished and we make sure we let everyone know how righteous we are – how good we are at “keeping the rules.” Those who don’t keep those rules (or worse don’t care about those rules) are obvious sinners that need to know about the judgement of hell.

However, Jesus hung out with the common “sinners” of His day.  One of the cut-downs the religious leaders had for Jesus was “friend of sinners.”  I am sure He would not have been welcomed for very long by those “sinners” if he constantly told them they were going to Hell.  He did teach on Hell, frequently.  However, Jesus’ harshest condemnation was directed at the religious leaders who were busy condemning everyone else. The everyday sinner felt loved and accepted.  Because of that love and acceptance of where they were at, they were motivated to change.

I so want my grandmother to listen to the true Gospel of salvation.  I know Hell is real.  Every single one of us is destined for Hell without Jesus.  It doesn’t matter how many rules I keep, I still fall far short of the glory and holiness of God Almighty. My good works and my rule keeping will not save me from the fires of Hell.  Only the mercy of God, through the sacrifice of His son on the cross, will permit anyone into Heaven. 

It isn’t because my grandmother loved to play bridge and enjoyed a glass of wine from time to time that she is destined for Hell.  It is because, like me and like you, she has not lived a perfect life. Her brother-in-law taught about her about hell and judgement, but with the traditions of men thrown in.  She knew there was something wrong with the message, so she threw out everything in the message along with Christ Himself.  She was judged and condemned by someone who thought getting to heaven was about following rules, and was prideful in his ability to keep those rules.

I pray that God will soften my grandmother’s heart. I pray that she will not go to hell because someone claiming the name of Christ preached a false gospel to her. I pray that I will preach the true Biblical gospel of Christ my in words and in my life. I pray that I can teach accurately about heaven and hell without throwing in traditions of men.  Jesus said that traditions that we put before God’s Word are worthless worship.  I do not want my worship to be worthless.  I do not want to push people away from Jesus because I am judgemental.  I am just as much of a sinner as anyone I speak with.  It is not my religiosity, my works, or my list keeping that keeps me from the fires of Hell.  It is the grace of God which is offered freely to every sinner who is willing to repent and turn to Him for salvation.