We just finished the class on Luke 11:37-54. As always, this blog lifts up only a part of our time together in class. The intention is to get others involved by sharing some of what we discovered. The invitation is always there for you to join us on Wednesday or to follow this blog. Our group on Wednesday is growing and we hope that our blog followers will do the same.
As so, what did we discuss? The conversation swirled around who were the Pharisees. We learned that the Pharisees were individuals who self selected a way of life. They would follow the law, both written and oral. To become a Pharisee, you would declare yourself one in the presence of three other brothers, who would then hold you accountable. Pharisees, unlike the Sadducces, resisted the Greek world, they followed not only the written law, but also the oral law (The Mishnah). They believed in the resurrection and were not convinced of the legitimacy of the second temple. In the gospels, they are a represented as a singular group and, in many ways, unfairly portrayed. They were well respected and honored by most people for their righteous lives. Jesus' challenge is on target for those who sweated the details and missed the broader implications of the law. This would have been true for some, but not all, Pharisees. In Jesus' raising questions, he would have stood with other Pharisees and some have argued that Jesus himself was a Pharisee. Raising questions was not a crime, in fact, it was expected. The Mishnah was and is a living conversation of noted rabbis arguing about the law. In many ways, their debate is like the debate around our Constitution. The constitution is continually being debated and discussed. The thought is that out of that discussion, the truth will emerge. So it with the Law in Judaism. Out of the discussion of what it means, the voice of God can be heard.
It this passage, Jesus sounds very much like the prophets. Jesus echos the prophetic voice of the Old Testament. In many ways, he does not cover any new ground. The Pharisees strive for righteousness, but miss the mark. They are focused on the wrong things. They pay attention to the details and miss the broader themes of justice. Jesus' words are strong, but they speak the truth. Striving for righteousness is a losing proposition. We will always fall short. The illusion is that, at some point, we can achieve this goal of righteousness on our own. The truth is that we can't. Even when the evidence is before us, we never fully learn our lessons. For example, the Civil Rights movement pointed out some painful truths that were hard to hear both as individuals and as a nation. Looking back, we may celebrate that moment in history as being a game changer, but the game is still being played. The face of racism is still a part of our lives. Facing this truth and others, however, does not lead us to despair as Christians. All of this leads us to the cross. We need to be saved and the good news is that Jesus saves us. Jesus is able to speak the hard truths of our lives because he is the one who brings the truth of God's grace. Because of God's grace, I can hear the truth and not be undone. I can hear the truth and, by God's grace, change my life. I can live into the righteous life God intends for me.
Finally, we were struck by the fact that we are still battling the issues presented in scripture. The story of the Pharisees and the Scribes is also our story. We still strive to defend our righteousness rather that own our brokenness. The beauty of the gospel writer is that, as he tells the story of Jesus, he invites us to face ourselves, warts and all. Right now, in the 11th chapter, we're feeling the tension that comes from the truth. We wonder what will happen in the final chapter. Of course, what awaits us is the power of the cross and the wonder that is Easter. The gospel winds up telling our story and our salvation.
Peace,
Pastor Summer
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