Characteristics of the Pharisee Luke 7:36-50

“Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner’” (Lk. 7:39, NASB).

All Christians should make a self assessment of their attitude and treatment of persons that are not blessed to have achieved the things that they have achieved. Regardless of our own personal status in society, we are never at liberty to look down on other people. We are never permitted to see ourselves as being better than other folks. Today’s article is taken from Luke 7: 36-50. Luke writes this story to make His audience to know that Jesus Christ came to forgive the sins of all people regardless of one’s status in the world; the community in which they live. Unfortunately, many of us exhibit characteristics like that of the Pharisee that are counter-productive to Jesus’ commands to preach the gospel to all people (Mk. 16:15-16) and make disciples regardless of their ethnic origin (Matt. 28:18-20). The Pharisee in the story gives us characteristics of religious persons that see themselves as more righteous than others that do not come up to their own personal views of morality.

The author of the Gospel of Luke writes to an audience that is predominantly Gentile. In His lifetime Jesus is confronted and opposed by the religious leaders because He associates with the poor, the sick, foreigners, and persons that the religious leaders classify as sinners to be shunned by good religious, Law abiding Jews. Not only is Jesus’ teaching different from that of the scribes and Pharisees, but Jesus breaks the Law, according to the views of the religious leaders, by healing people of the Sabbath day. The people hear Jesus and they see His work. Luke records their response. “And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out’” (Lk. 4:36, NASB).

Although Jesus is meeting the needs of the people, “the scribes and the Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He healed on the Sabbath so that they might find reason to accuse Him” (6:7). The tension continues to increase between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees are severely angered when they see Him heal a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. Luke records their response: “But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus” (6:11, NASB).

Luke tells us that the Pharisees that oppose Jesus also rejected John the Baptist and his baptism. “But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John” (7:30). The Pharisee in our story gives us one of many examples that we find in the gospels that highlight the characteristics of the Pharisees.

In our story, one of the Pharisees invites Jesus to dine with him. Now, usually we prefer to dine with persons that we have a good relationship with. However, when we look at the place in the gospel that Luke places this story, it is evident that this Pharisee does not invite Jesus because he wants to be a friend of Jesus. Instead, this Pharisee invites Jesus to dine with him because he is looking for something that Jesus does so that he will have concrete evidence that Jesus does something that is worthy of condemnation. As Jesus and the Pharisee and other invited guest are dinning a woman of the city appears with an alabaster vial of perfume. She is weeping and with her tears she washes Jesus’ feet, drying them with her hair. Then she kisses His feet and anoints them with the expensive oil (v. 37-38). The Pharisee is insulted by what is taking place. His response shows us the characteristics that define who he is and his attitude toward people.

According to the story it is evident that the Pharisee does know the truth about Jesus. Today, there are a lot of religious people; even church attending Christians that do not know the truth about who Jesus is. The Pharisee thinks of Jesus as a pretended prophet. He says to himself, “If this man were a prophet” (v. 39). Although the Pharisee knows the Law and the Prophets he cannot see that Jesus is a man sent from God. This man does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah sent from God that the prophets foretold.

In the gospels the scribes and the Pharisees are described as people that believe that Jesus does not come from God, and He is not doing the work of God. Jesus is a Law breaker. He refuses to keep the Sabbath. On the other hand, the Pharisee is a self righteous man. He is certain that he is totally correct. He is certain that he is morally above Jesus and the sinners that Jesus associates with. Like other Pharisees and scribes, this man sees himself as a righteous man. He is certain because he keeps the Law. He is blessed by God in every way, and this proves that he is a righteous man.

This Pharisee looks down on people. He shuns people that he believes to be sinners. According to his understanding of the Law the people that are poor, sick, diseased, and have low moral standards are in the condition that they are in because they are rejected by God for some sin that they or their parents have done. The Pharisees believe this and this is what they teach the people. Jesus presents a challenge to their beliefs and understanding of the Law and the Scriptures. In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus enters the synagogue. He reads from the book of Isaiah (61:1). After He reads the Scripture Jesus makes the comment: “‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” The people speak well of Jesus, but they do not fully understand what He is saying. “All were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, ‘is this not Joseph’s son’” (6:22)? How many of us are stuck in the mud of our own limited beliefs and understanding? Am I guilty of turning my head when I see the street people, the homeless with their signs asking for money to buy food? No, we do not always have money to give to these persons in need. Jesus does not judge the Pharisee because of his own inability to provide for the needs of the people. Rather, Jesus is concerned that the Pharisee has no compassion for those who have needs.

As stated above, the Pharisee judge people by his own standards. He sees the work that Jesus is doing. Instead of taking sides with Jesus he decides that Jesus is no better than the people that Jesus is providing for their needs. Thus, we can say that the Pharisee has a theology that limits the love, grace, mercy and compassion that God extends to all people without exception. The Pharisee thinks that he has earned God’s blessings. Jesus comes not to sanction sin. Rather, Jesus comes to forgive sins. This forgiveness is not just forgiveness for the penalty of sin; it also includes the effects of sins. The Pharisee thinks that a person who is a sinner is beyond forgiveness of their sins, and the consequences for their sins are permanent.

Luke writes this story along with other events in the life of Jesus trying to help us to believe that God forgives sin. His Son has authority to forgive sin. Jesus redeems us from sin. He paid the price by dying on the cross. Let us believe in Jesus. Let us not be like the Pharisee. We have no righteousness of our own. We are made righteous because God declares us righteous because we believe in Jesus.