The Pharisees and the Test of Obedience

Jesus gave us some simplistic insight into the hypocrisy of the Pharisees that we should all give heed to: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not" (Mat. 23:2,3). It's that last part there that really catches my attention, mainly because I see it repeated too often for my liking. "For they say, and do not." Now everybody has things that they say they will do and they don't do. I'm talking about petty things that really don't amount to anything, and there isn't much harm in that kind of thing. People even get angry and say they're going to do something bad and then don't do it. Well, obviously it's better that the bad isn't done, and the angry part can get righted usually without a whole lot of trouble. But it's significant things that pertain to relationships between people that I'm talking about, and that of every kind of relationship. It is in fact a very harmful thing to speak things especially pertaining to commitment, and then end up "doing not." Jesus covered this in another place in no uncertain terms: "But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil" (Mat. 5:37). That is correct, it is actually 'evil' to commit to serious things vocally, and then for no good reason fail to follow through with them. Neither does God forget when the failure to follow through is after significant time has passed. There are two ends to a situation like that, and the norm is that the person on the failing end doesn't think much about it, while there is usually hurt on the receiving end. It was chiefly these kinds of circumstances that Jesus was talking about when he gave the following fearful warning: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Mat. 12:36,37). To get the real gist of that statement, all we have to do is substitute the word 'saved' for the word 'justified, and 'lost' in place of 'condemned.' Yeah, that's how serious it is. And when we think about it, why wouldn't it be? After all, this whole calling is about "loving our neighbor as ourselves." Jesus clearly told us that all the law and the prophets are fulfilled in one saying, which is this: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them" (Mat. 7:12). I mean, who really wants someone to basically tell them that they're going to be there for them, and then not do it? That's pretty simple math, isn't it?

It actually takes a particularly strong and mature person in Christ to overcome such failure of commitment from someone close to them, rather than to be overcome by the hurt of it. All of our relationships are very important to Jesus. He suffered an agonizing death so that these relationships could be pure in love and faithfulness, and when it's all said and done we are without excuse to conduct ourselves otherwise. This is why he gave us this very fearful admonition and forewarning: "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Mat. 18:6,7). I was 'offended' by someone once when I was very young in Christ and didn't have my feet under me really solid. It had altogether to do with a verbal commitment from someone that was very important to me, which commitment evaporated like the morning dew. I didn't handle it real well and fell back under sin and the vices that the Lord had miraculously delivered me from. The person responsible was very fortunate that God was able to bring me back into the fold quickly, and that I wasn't permanently damaged by it. Jesus really wasn't kidding about this 'offences' and 'millstone' thing. We really need to think about what we want to do in these situations before we say we will do this or we will do that. James said it like this: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak" (Jas. 1:19). The renowned wisdom of Solomon was in perfect agreement, with some additional detail: "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few... When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay" (Eccl. 5:2,4,5). When we commit important things to others it is very close to being equivlent to a vow to God. If we can't follow through with a commitment to someone whom we can see, how could we expect to keep a vow to God whom we can't see? (I Jn. 4:20). God isn't here in person, and that's why we have one another. We should be careful what we say, and be certain that we aren't like the Pharisees, and "do not." "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful" (Rev. 17:14). Amen.