The Pharisees were an ancient Jewish sect, distinguished by strict observance of the traditional and written law. After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Pharisaic beliefs became the foundational, liturgical and ritualistic basis for Rabbinic Judaism.

Outside Jewish history and literature, Pharisees have been made notable by references in the New Testament to conflicts with John the Baptist and with Jesus. There are also several references in the New Testament to the Apostle Paul being a Pharisee. The relationship between Early Christianity and the Pharisees depended on the individual; while numerous nameless Pharisees were portrayed as hostile, New Testament writings make mention of several Pharisees, including Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Gamaliel, who are sympathetic to Jesus and Christians.

The scripture reading this day comes from the Gospel of Luke chapter 18 verses 8 through 14:

Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust: “Two people went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself with these words, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like everyone else—crooks, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of everything I receive.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even lift his eyes to look toward heaven. Rather, he struck his chest and said, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.’ I tell you, this person went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.”

For the Word of God in scripture, for the Word of God among us, and for the Word of God within us we say…Thanks be to God.

Public theologian and activist, Shane Claiborne, says, “I think one of the things that we’ve found is that through our…the cultural patterns of our world that teach us to separate ourselves from the poor or from suffering, what we find out is that we end up being some of the wealthiest people in the world but also some of the most lonely and depressed and hurting people. Because what we are created for is to love and to be loved. And when we gate ourselves out, and we lock people out, and we build picket fences and gated neighborhoods and walls around our countries to lock the alien and the poor and the stranger out, we find ourselves in a place where we’re really separate from God and from those who God is so close to on the margins.

“The model of the incarnation is that Jesus moved into the neighborhood. Jesus entered into the struggle, was born in the middle of genocide, and struggled through poverty and pain even up to the point of the cross. And that’s the model that we are called to follow.

This morning’s scripture reading comes from the Gospel of Luke chapter 16 versus 19 through 31 from the Common English Bible:

“There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who feasted luxuriously every day. At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores.

“The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side. He shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I’m suffering in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received good things, whereas Lazarus received terrible things. Now Lazarus is being comforted and you are in great pain. Moreover, a great crevasse has been fixed between us and you. Those who wish to cross over from here to you cannot. Neither can anyone cross from there to us.’

“The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father’s house. I have five brothers. He needs to warn them so that they don’t come to this place of agony.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They must listen to them.’ The rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will change their hearts and lives.’ Abraham said, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the Prophets, then neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”

For the Word of God in scripture, for the Word of God among us, and for the Word of God within us we say…Thanks be to God.