The Way of the Pharisee

Humility’ Is Really Our New Pride

Columnist David Brooks mocks what passes for humility these days. He points to a tweet from the president of the European Central Bank: “I was humbled to be awarded an honorary degree by the London School of Economics earlier this week. Thank you so much for this prestigious honor!” Brooks notes the three rules of this fake humility.

#1) Never tweet about any event that could actually lead to humility. Never tweet: “I’m humbled that I went to a party, and nobody noticed me.” Never tweet: “I’m humbled that I got fired for incompetence.”

#2) Use the word humbled when the word proud would be more accurate. For example: “Truly humbled to be keynote speaker at TedX East Hampton.” The key to humility display is to use self-effacement as a tool to maximize your self-promotion.

#3) Never use a pronoun. Start your tweets with “Humbled to be …” or “Honored to be …” This sends the message that you have only a few seconds to dash off this tweet, because you’re so busy and important.

We used to dance around our humblebragging, but now Brooks says “our [so-called] humility is explicit, assertive, direct, and unafraid. We blaze forth so much humility that it’s practically blinding. Humility is the new pride.”

Source:

David Brooks, “Truly Humbled to Be the Author of This Article,” The Atlantic (7-3-22)

Pride is a sin that is often undetectable, yet it is pervasive in Christianity . . . by perusing John 5:40-44 we will . . .

The Pharisees were experts in religiosity, but porous in genuine spirituality. Genuine spirituality is only possible through the Spirit of God. They were the mortal enemies of Jesus, and when we go to the Scriptures and see the horrible things they planned and said to Jesus, we might say to ourselves, I would never have done this. I would never do that. But is that so?

39 You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. 40 But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life. 41 “I do not accept glory from people, 42 but I know you—that you have no love for God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and yet you don’t accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God?

John 5:39–44 (CSB)

Rejection of the Son of God

· Luke 24:27,32

o The Pharisees missed the center and theme of the Bible, Jesus, thus it was somewhat meaningless. If you don’t understand the theme of a book, you won’t understand the book.

o As Elizabeth Talbot presented at the ministerial conference that took place on the campus of Burman University, every narrative, is about Jesus. The story of Joseph is not just about . . .

§ The better Joseph, Gen 45:4-5

· Jesus came and according to Heb 2:9 tasted death to preserve life.

· Gen 50:19-21

§ Jesus is the better Ruth

· Ruth 1:16-17

§ Jesus is the better Jeremiah . . . Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet, but in

· 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 44 and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Luke 19:41–44 (NKJV)

· They will not come to Christ that they might have life. “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (v. 40).

· If we approach the Scriptures without the need to see Jesus, we are travelling the way of the Pharisee, but if we do go to the Scriptures for an encounter with Jesus,

· Your heart will burn as did for the disciples on the road to Emmaus after spending time with Jesus said,

· 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

· Luke 24:32 (NKJV)

Rejection of the Love of God

· Luke 11:15, slandered Jesus . . . if we slander others we are walking the way of the Pharisee

· John 11:45-48, 53, the plotted the death of Jesus, they plotted to harm him. If we plot to harm others in any way, it doesn’t have to be murder, usually it’s because of Jealousy, we are walking the way of the Pharisee . . .

· They tried to discredit Jesus . . .

· They do not have the love of Godin them. “But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you” (v. 42).

Rejection of the Approval of God

· Matt 6:1-5

· Matt 23

o Do things to be seen by others, do things for show rather than genuine piety which is never showy

§ We need to examine our motives for how we dress, things that we say etc . . .

§

They are more interested in the approval of their fellow men than they are in God’s approval. “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” (v. 44).[1]

[1]Archie L. Edwards Sr., Outlines on the Gospel of John and First John, Sermon Outline Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1978), 19.