Living Virtuously - Herod and the Pharisees

“Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” (Mark 8:14-15, ESV)

As we discuss the true Christian life, one that is lived bathed in the blood of Jesus, we are reminded by Christ Himself to separate ourselves from the worldly influences of two different groups: the politicians and the morally self-righteous legalists. The Herodians, or followers of Herod, represented the political aspirations of Jesus’s time, while the Pharisees represented the morally self-righteous legalistic religionists. I say religionists because the Pharisees seem to have lost their love of God in favor of a slave like mental attitude toward the Scriptures.
Both of these extremes are very visible in our world today. It would seem that many Christians believe that our western democratic form of government is the only viable government for the promotion of Christianity. Many years ago I heard a man pray, “Thank you Lord for the United States of America which made Christianity possible.” I don’t doubt the man’s sincere belief in God but I am perplexed that someone would believe that a democratic form of government was necessary in order for Christianity to thrive. Please don't misunderstand me: I love the democratic form of government and I served my country during the Viet Nam conflict. I deeply respect the political institutions in the United States and Canada, to mention a couple.
In Jesus’s time, a Roman emperor ruled the known world, the Jews had the upper hand in local politics and Christians were the extreme minority. While the book of Acts is thrilling, considering three thousand converts on the Day of Pentecost to the point where the numbers were multiplying, nevertheless, Jews and pagans outnumbered Christians. Despite the overwhelming odds, the apostles were emboldened to preach the good news to any and every group or person who would listen. Paul did some of his best work from inside a jail cell. But following the warnings of Jesus, Christians worked hard to steer clear of the negative influences of politics or the extremes of the religious establishment.
How does this play out in the twenty-first century? Every time the ACLU presents a lawsuit against prayer or some Christian observation, be it Christmas or whatnot, e-mails start circulating rapidly around the world, asking people to not only read the note, but to affirm that this is true and to pass it on or reap the consequences. One hoax alleging that Madeline Murray O’Hare is working to get religious broadcasting off the airwaves still circulates, years after her death. Many Christians truly believe that unless the United States is preserved as they understand it, the nation is doomed to godlessness and the churches will all die out, around the world.
During the Biafran War in Nigeria several decades ago, the non-Christian Nigerians did their best to annihilate the Biafran tribe which was largely Christian. However, during the entire war, the number of Christians among the Biafrans doubled, even though their community was incarcerated and murdered regularly.
Much of the hype coming out about the direction of the nation of the United States is fomented by Pharisaical religionists. One such a person has on occasion suggested the assassination of leaders of other countries to preserve the United States. Beware the leaven of the Pharisees is the admonition given by our Lord. We can get carried away with politics thinking we are fighting to preserve the Christian faith when in fact we are playing into the hands of the real enemy, Satan.
Christians need to be informed, they need to be people who trust in God before trusting in man. I don’t watch the news much anymore, especially since 9/11. I find that it doesn’t inspire me, it doesn’t fill me with good, it fills me with worry and concern about matters that God can deal with better than I. The New Testament writers Peter and Paul had a profound respect for governmental leaders, even though they suffered at the hands of some of these brutes. Their teaching? Pray. Pray for the emperor, pray for those who have the power. We should be a people who pray for the president and the congress men and women. We should pray for our local leaders. Ask yourself a question: if you are a Republican, did you pray for President Clinton during his presidency, especially during his impeachment hearings? If you are a Democrat, did you pray for Mr. Nixon during Watergate or do you pray for Mr. Bush during these times of war in Iraq? Most of us cannot answer in the affirmative. I know I didn’t pray for Mr. Clinton as I should have. I haven’t prayed for Mr. Bush as I should. I also need to pray for Mr. Harper here in Canada and those local leaders who help me to live in peace in this country. Living life incarnadine means to live it in the world, but not of the world. We should never let politics divide brother and sister in the church, we should never think that politics will save us. It won’t. Only Jesus Christ can do that. And last I checked, He’s still very much alive and still very much involved in our current history. Let’s dare to live our lives bathed in his blood, life incarnadine.