Jesus had frequent run-ins with the Pharisees is so evident in the Bible that you might occasionally ask, “Don’t they get it?” But an honest and brutal look at Christians in America today might bring you to the same question.
The Pharisees were so preoccupied with their traditions and rules that their relationship with God was in far second place. They had forgotten that their own texts in Micah 6:8 said, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness [mercy], and to walk humbly with your God?”
It is dangerous to be pious in one’s religion and not understand the heart of God toward people.
The Lord had just called Matthew to follow him…Matthew was a hated tax collector, and certainly not one that the religious leaders had any use for. The Bible says Matthew left his tax booth “left everything and followed.” It was an all-out committed decision that he shared with his old friends. You can almost hear the Pharisees ask, “How could you do this, Jesus?” But Jesus told the Pharisees to “go and learn,” essentially, to get back to the basics.
Do you have a merciful heart? Yes, there are shared traditions and principles to celebrate and follow. But God wants you to have a soft heart towards other people. Ask the Holy Spirit to put that kind of love and mercy into your heart so that it influences how you deal with others each day. He will fill you to overflowing.
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