Don’t Be a Pharisee

A year ago, churches were closed to the public with only a few people inside celebrating the special services for Great Lent ‘on behalf’ of the people. Then we were in the middle of Great Lent. Today we find ourselves still in the early days of the Fast, and churches are open at least in most places. Beyond the obvious, what has changed in the past year? I am not talking about the shutdowns or stimulus debates in Congress. Have you noticed anything different in the way you’re approaching Great Lent, since last year’s shutdown?

One Day 1 of our Daily Lenten Journey, “Here we go again,” I suggested that we were different this year, as we would be in any year, but this year especially because of the pandemic. Now that we have completed the first full week of Great Lent, I invite you to think about my suggestion. Are you in fact different this year? Maybe you’re fasting more, or maybe you’re attending more Church services. Maybe you’re doing less fasting and attending fewer services or watching online instead of in person.

The reason I bring it up today is to reflect upon today’s Gospel lesson.

At that time, Jesus was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.” Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch it out,” and his hand was restored. (Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-5)

It can be very easy to focus our attention on following all the rules, rather than allowing the rules to help us grow closer to Christ. Take a moment and think about the first week of Great Lent. Were you so focused on the rules, that you forgot to actually pray? Were you so fixated on the ingredient list that you forgot to offer someone in need some food? The Great Lenten Journey is complex with many rules and traditions, but none of these are meant to distract from what really matters.

God gives us everything to help us grow closer to Him. If we lose sight of that, we are no better than the Pharisees in today’s Gospel. Don’t be a pharisee. Be a Christian.