SINS OF THE RIGHTEOUS

Leviticus 4:1-5:19; Mark 2:13-3:6; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 10:1-2

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. This is how you are to deal with those who sin unintentionally by doing anything that violates one of the Lord’s commands….Or if they come into contact with any source of human defilement, even if they don’t realize they have been defiled, they will be considered guilty as soon as they become aware of it.’”

“But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with such scum?‘ When Jesus heard this, he told them, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.’”

One day in high school, I felt eyes boring into the back of my head.  Turning, I saw one of the most obviously “religious” students staring intently.  “I have a confession,” he said.  “I think I’m a better Christian than you.”  How does one respond to something like that?  I chose what I thought was the truth: “You probably are.”  End of discussion.  No one was drawn closer to Christ.

Why do I still remember that brief, unnecessary conversation?  Why did we even have it?  Maybe the guy truly was wrestling with humility issues.  But I don’t think so.  It’s just too easy to be drawn into measuring our faith by human comparisons.  It’s an easy way to let ourselves off the accountability hook.  I’ve done it myself….  And learned evaluating spirituality by appearances is flat wrong. 

Spiritual superiority is a very subtle and deadly disease.  Jesus knew it.  The Pharisees were oblivious.  It cost them and, ultimately, all of us.  Because Christ was not crucified by obvious sinners.  He was crucified by the “religious” people of His time.  I’m not slamming religion, just pointing out that the obvious are not always the most sincere.

Maybe that’s why God established a sacrifice for those who didn’t think they needed one.  Maybe that’s why Jesus told us not to let our right hand know what our left is doing.  We do tend to get puffed up and self-satisfied, and He wants to save us the embarrassment… and the confusion.  Christianity isn’t about appearances, or looking good.  It’s not even about being good.  It is about being literally connected to Christ by and through the Holy Spirit.  Period.

The Emmaus Walk movement has a prayer “for those who need it the most, and for those who think they don’t need it at all.”  Great prayer.  It seems, at least in retrospect, that I ALWAYS need Christ the most when I think I need Him the least.