Reading about the Pharisees in the New Testament has always left me with a bad opinion of them; in fact, I’m sure that the original lawyer jokes were about the Pharisees in Biblical times. After thinking about it, however, I think that a modern day Pharisee probably would make a good neighbor. With their knowledge and strict obeyance of the Law, they would never do anything illegal. They certainly would never break a rule of the Home Owners Association (HOA), and they would only paint their house an approved color and would maintain their lawns and landscaping exactly as specified. They would never play loud music at night or on Sunday morning, and their children wouldn’t cut across my lawn. They would never let their dog bark at night or leave a present in my yard. They would support the Neighborhood Watch, always be polite, and dress appropriately. They would never do anything that would lower property values! Not only that, but they would be very religious. Most of all they would be a lot like me.
 

 There could be a few problems, though. They’d call me out if my grass got too long, and they would be a stickler about making sure that I followed every HOA rule. They would turn me in for watering on a non-allowed day, even if my sprinkler system had been on the fritz the allowed day earlier in the week; this is just like when they accused Jesus of working on the Sabbath when he healed the man who was blind from birth (John 9:1-41). If I planted some Lantana, they would check that the varieties I chose were non-invasive. Sometimes their smug, self-righteous, holier than thou attitudes could get a little hard to take. Yes, there would be some negatives, but not enough to keep them from being preferred neighbors.

 Indeed, like the Pharisees, we should be good neighbors. Our reasons, however, should be different! We know that our faith is not based on works; our neighborliness should not be based on a scheme to accumulate goody points, but rather because Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We should do this not to curry favor, but instead because we have received favor (God’s grace).

 Jesus told us to learn from what the Pharisees say, but not to be hypocrites as they are. To learn what Jesus had to say about the Pharisees, read Matthew 23:1-12 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

 
Jim

Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2023:1-12