18 Jan 2017
Jesus was both angered and grieved by the Pharisees. We might even say that he was shocked by
their behavior, by their coldness of heart.
And he was troubled deeply by how they had interpreted the law of God. He was angered and immensely saddened—not
because he hated the Pharisees, but because he loved them and hated to see his
own children go down the path of destruction.
I suppose it’s like any parent or grandparent who sometimes
looks at their children and can’t believe what they do (or don’t do), like: not
going to church, giving up on God and the faith, doing things which are harmful
to them. What are you left to do but be
angered and grieved by that.
But, you know, Jesus doesn’t keep silent. He’s pretty straightforward with the
Pharisees; he doesn’t mince words. And
he does what’s right, even if it’s not well-received. Jesus isn’t afraid to upset the applecart
when it needs to be upset. And, in that,
we can look to the Lord not only with love and affection, but also with admiration.
Like a trusted teacher, he shows us how to relate to others
who are self-righteous, self-serving, and (sadly) self-destructive. We relate to them with honesty (even blunt
honesty) and with unconditional love and concern, while standing firm in what’s
right and just. And sometimes—a lot of
times—that’s not very fun.
Sometimes having the heart of Christ is simply a pain; it
makes us angry and terribly sad. But
that’s the price of having a softened heart; that’s the price of sacrificial
love. But it’s a price we gladly pay
and, really, we can’t afford not to pay that price.
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