Modern Day Pharisees

Chapter 38

Modern Day Pharisees 

(Luke 12:1-12)

Have you ever been around individuals who are intimidating? I have been around many great leaders some are warm and humble but many are cold and proud, it's usually not just by what they say, you can just feel it in the atmosphere. I could say it is my own insecurities but I believe there is a reason certain thoughts form in my head.  Using intimidation can be expected around worldly leaders yet I have found the same amongst Christian leaders. 

In Luke 12:1 as a great crowd gathered Jesus warns the disciples to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees-their hypocrisy. 

What does He mean here? 

Well, influential people will usually have no regard for us until we begin to make an influence ourselves. Jesus was drawing crowds, his ministry was now becoming greater than their own. They led through fear by intimidation while Jesus led through faith by love, a total contradiction and therefore threat to their own religious establishment. Christ righteousness was exposing their wickedness, His truth was exposing their lies. So Jesus was warning the disciples that things were going to heat up, great conflict was developing, but they should not fear those whom can only harm them temporarily but fear God who has the power over their eternal destination. 

Pharisees are those whom use God for their own personal gain. They take advantage of those whom are weak, unlearned, poor, and insecure, using their titles and accomplishments to Lord over them.  Most of us come to the Lord in our weakness so we are prime candidates for deception from these wolves dressed in sheep's clothing. They appear to be something they are not and try ever so subtly to lead us to deny the Lord and blaspheme the Holy Spirit. 

Yet, our battle is not with flesh and blood, so we must respond with love to everyone including those whom seem to want to do us harm.  Many are ignorant of their ways, bound to traditions, deceived, they even believe what they are doing is right.  God saved Saul who became Paul and can save anyone, so we must pray for all leaders, yet, make sure we are not taken advantage of and led astray the same.  

The word says if we follow Christ we will suffer persecution.  Jesus main persecution was with the religious elect, and so we cannot expect anything but the same, and as it says in Luke 12:12 the Holy Spirit will teach us in the midst of it how to respond.