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When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate
their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. Mark
7:1–2
What a foolish thing for these Pharisees and scribes to be
concerned about! They were in the presence of the Son of God, the
Savior of the World, a man of perfect virtue and pure goodness, and
all they could do was to observe that some of Jesus’ disciples
failed to follow the scrupulous teaching on how they should wash
their hands before a meal. The reason for this was their pride.
These teachers of Israel had devised a large body of detailed,
unwritten, human laws that they treated with the same binding force
as the Law of Moses that they received from God. But the scribes’
and Pharisees’ human traditions were not from God; they were a body
of regulations flowing from their own self-righteous need to act as
interpreters of the Law. Therefore, whenever someone failed to
follow the traditions the Pharisees and scribes taught as binding,
they took it personally and reacted with judgment.
One lesson we can learn from these religious leaders is that we
should never take things personally. Allowing ourselves to become
personally offended at anything at all is, in fact, an act of our
own pride. We do need to have sorrow for the sin we see, but that
is different than allowing ourselves to become personally offended.
For example, even if we were to teach the very Law of God and
someone rejects that teaching, our response must be sorrow for them
as we reject their error.
Jesus went on to respond to the Pharisees and scribes by quoting to
them the Prophet Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts” (See Isaiah 29:13).
What’s interesting is that Jesus didn’t really engage them in
conversation about this, defending Himself or His disciples in
their eyes. Instead, He rebuked the Pharisees and scribes in a
general way so as to dismiss their criticism as false, and then
turned away from them and addressed the crowds.
We will all experience unjust condemnation at times. If we are in
the wrong, then we must receive the condemnation as if it were from
God and repent. But if the condemnation flows from someone’s
wounded pride or error, then Jesus set the example on how we ought
to respond. The best response is to reject their error and then
refuse to become engaged in the conversation further. Too often
when we are criticized unjustly, we also take it personally. We
tend to fight back and justify ourselves, trying to prove that the
other person is wrong. But when we do that, we are most likely
acting out of our own wounded pride. This will result in angry
sulking feelings and the experience of oppression that the evil one
inflicts upon us. Jesus’ model is to reject the lie and then refuse
to engage it further. The reason for this is that the unjust
condemnation is actually the seed of the evil one. The person
delivering it is only the instrument. So we rebuke the lie of the
evil one and refuse to get into a personal battle with the person
delivering the lie. Doing so brings freedom from oppression and
allows our hearts to remain at peace, no matter what we
endure.
Reflect, today, upon any ways that you have taken some conversation
personally, allowing it to oppress you with anger, becoming
defensive or argumentative. Know that whenever that happens, this
is an attack from the evil one as he seeks to oppress you. Do not
accept that abuse. The guide for each of us is the peace and joy
that comes from the Holy Spirit. Even the greatest martyrs remained
at peace and felt joy in the midst of their persecution. Reflect
upon any ways that you have allowed the evil one to agitate you and
leave you upset with your wounded pride. Do not fall into his trap.
Hold on to the truth and remain at peace, and that will be all the
defense you need to make.
My persecuted Lord, You endured much criticism in life, but You
never allowed it to steal Your peace. You remained perfectly
strong, rejecting the lies and turning from them. Please give me
the grace I need to always turn away from the lies of the evil one
and to listen only to Your clear and gentle voice. Jesus, I trust
in You.
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Featured image above: The icon Jesus reproves the Scribes and
Pharisees in the church, via Adobe
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