马太福音15:1-9：1 那时，有法利赛人和文士从耶路撒冷来见耶稣，说：2“你的门徒为甚么犯古人的遗传呢？因为吃饭的时候，他们不洗手。”3耶稣回答说：“你们为甚么因着你们的遗传，犯神的诫命呢？4神说：‘当孝敬父母’，又说：‘咒骂父母的、必治死他。’5你们倒说：‘无论何人对父母说，我所当奉给你的，已经作了供献，6他就可以不孝敬父母。这就是你们借着遗传废了神的诫命。7假冒为善的人哪！以赛亚指着你们说的预言是不错的．他说：8‘这百姓用嘴唇尊敬我，心却远离我，9他们将人的吩咐当作道理教导人，所以拜我也是枉然。’”
我们再次看到法利赛人律法主义和自视清高态度的一个范例。为什么圣经经常向我们指出这点？这是因为我们很容易陷入这种思维方式。法利赛人总是想方设法指出别人的不足，而这会让他们自我感觉良好。我们是否也曾这样行？法利赛人设法为自己的罪行找借口。在这里他们为不赡养父母的行为辩护，因为他们把钱捐给教会了。我们是否同样为自己的行为辩护，并为这些行为找借口？他们高举传统，却超越了上帝的话语。我们的某些行为是否仅仅因为我们习以为常，然后去责备别人没能这样做？法利赛人喜欢冗长的祷告、愁眉苦脸和禁食，但他的心根本游离在外。我们祷告的时候是否也心不在焉？我们唱赞美诗的时候是否根本不知道歌词在说些什么？
因为我的罪性，我知道我可能和法利赛人一样。但因为圣灵在我里面造就的新我，我确实相信。我信的不是我自己，或我的好行为，或我遵守了律法和传统。我只信耶稣，唯独信耶稣。靠着恩典，唯独靠着恩典，我不是一个法利赛人！
祷告：亲爱的耶稣，当我对别人吹毛求疵的时候，当我对自己的好行为夸口的时候，或者当我假装自己比别人强的时候，请让我悔改。请赐给我一颗谦卑忍耐的心，让我唯独在你里面找到盼望和拯救。阿们！
Matthew 15: 1-9: Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” 3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’”
Once again we see an example of the legalistic and self-righteous attitudes of the Pharisees. Why does Scripture point this out to us so often? Because it is so easy to fall into that way of thinking. The Pharisee always finds a way to point out the failures of others because it makes him look good in his own eyes. Do we do that? The Pharisee finds a way to excuse his sin. In this case, they justified not supporting their parents because they gave their money to the church. Do we justify our actions and make excuses for them? They hold up traditions higher than God’s Word. Do we do things because we’ve always done them that way and fault others for not doing it? The Pharisee loved long prayers and sad faces and fasting, but his heart was not in it. Do we pray without our hearts, or sing without even knowing what we are saying?
In my sinful nature, I know I can be like the Pharisee. But in the new self which the Holy Spirit created in me, I do believe. I do not believe in myself or my good works or in my keeping the laws and traditions. I believe only in Jesus. I trust in him alone. By grace and by grace alone I am not a Pharisee!
Prayer: Dear Jesus, call me to repentance when I am critical of others, or when I boast in my good works, or when I pretend to be better than others. Give me a humble heart, a penitent heart, that finds hope and my salvation in you alone. Amen.