I Don't Want To Be A Pharisee!

I don't want to be a Pharisee, I don't want to be a Pharisee, Cause they're not fair ya see, I don't want to be a Pharisee...I don't want to be a Hypocrite, I don't want to be a Hypocrite, Cause they're not hip with it, I don't want to be a Hypocrite, I just want to be a sheep, Baaa Ba Ba (Sing it, if you know it!)

This cute-as-pie song came into my life in the summer of 2007. That summer I wasn't "Jennifer". As soon as I pulled into Trinity Woods Day Camp's parking lot each day, I became "Strudel".  I'm still called "Strudel", on those special occasions, when I run into my peeps from that summer. Naturally, that song was a camp favorite. The pavilion was full of cute, dirty, little kids sing I don't want to be a pharisee. Can I get an "amen"? But do we, they, get it? It could easily be just another kiddie tune that we sing at kid's church and camp, but only if you ignore the words.

I don't want to be a Pharisee (Hypocrite), I just want to be a sheep.

Reminds me of a story:

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:9-14).
Can you say, "False Humility"?

The Pharisees and Hypocrites were good at that.

I'm good at that.

I would be better to look up to Heaven and say, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Am I the only one?

False humility is this scary little trait I'm beginning to see in myself. It's easy to say, I submit to You, Lord, and Your will in my life. Living it out? Not so much. It's easy to pray all spiritual in other people's company, while I fail to meet God in prayer alone. It's easy talk to your friends about God when your quiet times are thriving. But do we speak up when we are spiritually dry?

Please don't take this as a slap across the face. It's not.

Unlike the Pharisee, you and I will turn and say, God have mercy on me, a sinner. You, who love the Lord, will not stay here. I won't stay here. We are sinners in need of grace, and we recognize that. The Pharisee? The Hypocrite? They see no need.

Do you see your need?

I don't want to be a Pharisee...I don't want to be a Hypocrite...I just want to be a sheep. Baa Ba Ba
In His Name,
Jennifer