Are We Pharisees?Sýnishorn

If you noticed, the Pharisees sought the power of man because they wanted to impose their will. We call this dominance or coercion. It can start in a seemingly innocent place: wanting to avert risks to ourselves, our family, and our friends. Like Adam and Eve wove fig leaves into clothing, we can try to “weave” safety for us and ours.

This problem is, if we’re not expecting God to look after us, we can feel the need to look out for ourselves… and to ensure the outcome. When we impose our will, we may try gentleness, but it will be feigned. We won’t actually want to empower others more than we empower ourselves. We’ll need power over others. Conveniently, we can get other things we want, too.

Like the Pharisees, we can propagandize—us having power is in everyone’s best interest. Bible study can help a lot with this. Spouting religious knowledge inspires cooperation if everyone believes we have the moral high ground. Plus, it’s a “holy” thing to do… so can we feel extra great about it.

If these things are true, we likely won’t do what the bible says, though. It’s not very convenient and it can put us at terrible risk. We can craft theology to gloss over anything which won’t leave us in control; and we can be upset and/or hostile to perceived threats. Actual obedience to God might mean we don’t get what we want. In fact, we might get nothing. We could lose time and energy; and it could cost those we love–our family! No. Way.

Suddenly, we can be selfish, indulgent, fearful, and indifferent to the suffering of others—missing the adventure of walking with God. Our “holiness” is a guise for building a personal empire, closed off to God’s heart to help everyone made in His image… and we don’t even know it.

God, though, can be the opposite of us. Jesus said:

Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. Yes, the teaching that I ask you to accept is easy. The load I give you to carry is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 ERV)

While dominant people take, impose, impress and otherwise make their will happen, gentle people offer. God’s gentleness extends help, saying, “this is for your good, but I won’t make you take it.” Jesus offered love at the cost of His life. Father God offered love at the cost of His son’s life. And they offer love to us still, today.

You see, whereas the tree of knowledge has us fearing, self-protecting, and inspired to dominate and coerce, God says, “Blessed are the gentle. They will inherit the earth.” (Matt 5:5) He has an offensively high value for freedom and choice.

Sometimes, even, His gentleness does or says nothing at all. It’s willing to comfort and help until someone is willing to listen; and it can give, expecting nothing in return. It can give even at great cost. Gentle people are servants in the best sense of the word.

When we walk in God’s gentleness, we don’t need men to agree with us, cooperate with us, or even listen to us. The agreement of Heaven is enough. We trust God. We obey. The rest is between God and others.

People who are gentle experience supernatural favor and productivity. We find God works out things for us. We aren’t offended when our help isn’t received or goes unrequited. We’re not strategizing to gain more power, making “power plays” or “power grabs" or any of that! We’re guarded and looked after by THE Power. Gentleness trusts God to accomplish what God wants. Gentle people, literally, inherit (receive) our progress as a gift from God. Let this sink in.

And we can start to wonder: How is the Holy Spirit wanting to make others more powerful? Gentle people are not threatened by this question. We like it. We dream of powerful people making decisions, learning, and becoming even more like Jesus.

So, let’s ask ourselves, how much joy do we find in others winning? Or is this just about us? Do we believe God will actually bring about His kingdom if we do things His way? Or do we prefer making things happen? Is gentleness too… weak? Are… we Pharisees?