Doves in a Wolves' World

I find broadcast news programs painful to listen to these days. The vehemence and volume that defines most of them as opposing groups promote their positions is overwhelming and stressful to me. It seems no one is interested in listening to anyone but themselves, and thus they get louder and louder (and typically redder and redder in the face). Civil dialogue has become a relic of the past, while common ground shrinks and polemics grow more frenzied than ever.

We have become so polarized in this society that if we dare speak to speak our opinion, we risk losing relationships. We have become encamped as those who believe one way, those who believe differently, and those who are afraid to say anything on any given subject.

So how can we – in this ever more divisive and hostile environment – be effective witnesses to Christ? Fortunately, we can look to Christ himself for our example. In the gospels, Jesus demonstrates how to share God’s love, grace, and mercy even in the face of the Pharisee’s disapproval.[1]

Let’s start with a reminder of who the Pharisees are. Typically portrayed as adversaries against Jesus and his followers, they were Jews concerned with pleasing God through strict observation of the Torah. They had emerged during the Intertestamental Period (represented by that blank page in many Bibles between Malachi and Matthew) when Jewish identity was threatened by the influence of outside forces.[2] In response, they lived according to strict religious traditions that emphasized purity and boundaries against foreign, pagan influences.

Much like groups today who feel threatened by the ideas and practices of others – whether political or religious or cultural – they took a hardline approach to how they and their fellow Jews should act. This often brought them into conflict with Jesus’ ministry and teaching, about which he would confront their hard-heartedness.

As part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls out the Pharisees as “hypocrites” (Matthew 6:1-18) for their adherence to appearance – wanting to be noticed for their religious practices – rather than the authenticity of their faith. Their public displays became more performance for the sake of demonstrating “correct” behavior than true piety.

History is full of individuals who have led the charge in dictating how others should live in order to conform to their ideals, only later to be discovered as violating those same practices.

In John 9, on the sabbath Jesus heals a man born blind. Rather than rejoice over the miracle, the Pharisees instead interrogate the man, threatening he and his parents if they dare suggest that Jesus might be the Messiah. When dissatisfied with the blind man’s responses about how his sight had been restored, they finally condemn him as a sinner and, as teachers of the Torah respected by the common people,[3] drive him out.

In their desire to hold onto their beliefs and justify them as righteous, the Pharisees created an us-versus-them dynamic that defined who was righteous and who was not. They chose to employ Scripture as a weapon instead of sharing the lovingkindness of God.

Despite the challenges from Pharisees during his earthly ministry, Jesus was committed to draw people from all walks of life to the gospel – even those who opposed the very truth he embodied. Those whom the Pharisees rejected outright – like tax collector and zealots – were invited into his inner circle. He engaged in conversation with people from all points of the theological spectrum, including Samaritans who were viewed by the Jews as religious heretics. He intentionally crossed social and religious boundaries to call all people to repentance and reconciliation with God.

While Jesus never compromised moral truth to gain acceptance, he also never beat anyone down for their failure to understand the truth he had to offer. He held himself to righteous path that did not compromise but also never withheld his love from those who disagreed.

Jesus loved people whom others rejected, like the Samaritan woman in John 4. She represented the ultimate outsider for most Jews – her ethnicity, her religious beliefs, not to mention the perceived moral failures in her personal life. And even though he could have condemned her, Jesus prioritized building relationship over proving a point.

Luke 19 tells us that Zacchaeus made a concerted effort to see Jesus as he passed through Jericho though he never expected to meet or speak to the rabbi. Imagine his surprise when Jesus notices him and invites an encounter that will change his life. Though despised by most of his fellow Jews, Zacchaeus experiences a total transformation because Jesus expressed an interest in him.

As we live in a world no less polarized than 1st century Palestine, how can we be authentic witnesses to the gospel, standing firm in our beliefs while seeking to build bridges instead of walls? What might this look like in our day-to-day lives?

• Let’s remember that even those who scream the loudest and whose beliefs are most removed from our own are still beloved by God. While it is tempting (and much too easy) to vilify and reject them, remember that we too were once counted as enemies against God (Romans 5:10).

• Make an intentional effort to build relationships with people whose life experiences and perspectives differ from your own, and create opportunities so that difficult conversations can be held with grace.

• And remember to listen more than we speak. Demonstrate a genuine interest in hearing other viewpoints and respecting those who hold them.

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There is no guarantee that our efforts to reach out to others in love and with grace will be received in the spirit they are intended. I cannot promise that your overtures will be returned with the same courtesy. But perhaps our kindness and our patience will earn us the opportunity to form relationships in which mutual respect and trust will open the door to sharing the transformative love of God through Jesus.

May our witness be a gentle warmth that draws others to join us in community rather than an overbearing fire that fractures and splits us from one another and from God.

[1] Lee-Barnewall, Michelle. 2013. Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes in The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts. eds. Joel B. Green and Lee Martin McDonald, 219. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. Kindle.

[2] Lee-Barnewall, 218.

[3] Mason, S. 2000. Pharisees in Dictionary of New Testament Background. eds. Craig A. Evans and Stanley E. Porter, 785. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic. Kindle.