You Talking To Me? (Am I a Pharisee?)

An-n-n-n-d we are back to The Pharisee.

The Hypocrite.

The Judge-y One.

Lately, I have been reflecting on this Scripture…

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
John 5:39-40

Our Savior was addressing Pharisees when He said this.

Not Disciples.

Not “taught ones.”

The “experts,” the “scholars,” those who were steeped in studying the scriptures.

And before we breathe a sigh of relief, declaring that to be a case of “us, not them,” therefore, we don’t need to worry about anything, come on, you know some self-examination is due here.

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
John 5:39-40

Willing and able?

Are we?

It’s a challenge for any one of us to ask ourselves that question, let alone answer it.

It makes us squirm.

Because, again, if you check the context OF the scripture, Our Savior was talking to a Pharisee.

And, because His Word does not come back void (Isaiah 55:11), it’s in effect for us, at given time. Especially if we are acting a little bit too much like a Pharisee.

And, let’s face it, you and I have that capability within us to DO just that.

“If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.”

1 Corinthians 10:12

So, how are some of the hypocritical ways you and I can fall, especially if we think that we are standing so securely?

Let’s count some Pharisee ways.

“Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.”

Luke 6:30

Yikes, right away, it’s tough stuff to face, huh?

Especially for those of us to like to “keep score.” You know you have that in you, right?

And then, on top of everything, we are just supposed to “give?”

Really? And don’t ask for anything back?

That can be a lot to ask for, from those of us who like our stuff.

And you know what “your stuff” is to you, and how much it means to you. Come on now.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both Elohim and money.”

Matthew 6:24

Adding still more, too uncomfortable, but true gasoline, to the fire involves another exchange between someone and Our Messiah…

“As Yahshua started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. ‘Good Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

 ‘Why do you call Me good?’ Yahshua replied. ‘No one is good except The Most High alone.  You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not cheat others, honor your father and mother.’”

‘Teacher,’ he replied, ‘all these I have kept from my youth.’

Yahshua looked at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.’

But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.

Then Yahshua looked around and said to His disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of Elohim!’

Mark 10:17-23

We have no idea just how earnest and sincere this guy may have been. He maybe thought he was perfectly able to “follow the Master.”

He asked questions. He seemed to be onboard. He knew scripture.

Just like the Pharisees knew scripture?

Yet, when it came time to pull the trigger, he choked.

He was sad.

Why was he sad though?

Didn’t he want to follow “The Master?”

Well…

“…‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of Elohim!  It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of The Most High.’”

Mark 10:24-25

Yep. Reality check. Before you and I feel too at-ease with our hearts, the certainty of our zeal, are we really willing to part with our stuff?

Or does it make us sad, and we turn away?

Be honest.

No condemnation here.

We all have some tricky, hypocritical hearts going on.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

Jeremiah 17:9

Moving on, with still more fun self-examination.

“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”

Luke 6:31

This scripture seems like such an easy no-brainer.

“The Golden Rule.”

We should know by now, it’s not quite that simple though.

Especially because, if we are honest with ourselves, we would like to get a little payback if we are wronged by someone.

Even with ancient scripture directly and eternally declaring…

“…‘Vengeance is Mine; I will repay’…”

Romans 12:19

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We just want to bypass that completely. We want our pound of flesh.

It’s just a little pound of flesh. It’s not that bad, right?

Or, how about this?

We don’t want to do want right, moral, or decent.

Who’s squirming, clearing their throats, or high-tailing it out of the building right now?

The human animal. Too often, we just want to do what we want to do.

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

Ecclesiastes 1:9

And, to those of us, with the borderline Pharisee, “puffed upness” about our good deeds, oh, there’s some schooling for us, too…

“And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.”

Luke 6:33

Nope, there was not the trophy or the cookie we were hoping to get here. In fact, there is still more un-fun stuff ahead, if we want “to follow The Master…”

“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”
Luke 6:35

Yeah, the “loving the enemies” thing?

We would like to have heard that wrong. We would like to have not heard that at all.

Beyond all the things, all the tasks, it is a heart issue.

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

Proverbs 4:23

And that is what is at the root of everything, including our unflattering Pharisee ways.

Again…

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
John 5:39-40

Willingness. A heart issue.

And it’s more subtle than we realize.

It’s things like…

I don’t want to read scripture.

I don’t want to learn more about “Him.”

I don’t want to stop sinning.

I don’t want to pray.

I would rather do (Name that thing that is the more entertaining distraction).

And yeah, we do these things, in big and small ways.

But it all comes down to this…

“But why do you call Me ‘Master, Master,’ and not do the things which I say?”

Luke 6:46

“They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ For you ignore The Most High’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

Mark 7:7-8

Heart issue.

And not just that.

Truth.

“For The Most High is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

John 4:24

What is “The Truth” when we are confronted with His Words?

“But why do you call Me ‘Master, Master,’ and not do the things which I say?”

Luke 6:46

This is a big, uneasy swallow for yours truly here.

Because think of what He says…

“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

Matthew 25:40

Think of how constant He is calling us to come to Him…

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28-29

Do we do that, with our hearts?

Do we do that “in spirit and in truth?”

Or do we just “go through the motions?”

Do we turn away from Him?

Be honest.

Because we all fall short here. We wouldn’t need Him if we did.

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
John 5:39-40

This is a “check in” opportunity.

It’s not hopeless.

He is not caught off-guard by us, our hearts, what occupies and distracts them, away from Him.

He still beckons us to come to Him. That has not changed.

We can take a step towards change, getting closer to Him now.

Let’s pray.

ABBA-

We come to You, in The Name of Your Son, Our Savior.

We come to Him. We need help coming to Him right now.

You know what that looks like.

You know our hypocrisy.

You know our hearts.

You know our sins.

Forgive us.

Forgive our unwillingness, our wrong attitudes, our casual indifference, our pride issues, and our preoccupation with other distractions.

Help us to fully turn to You, to connect with You.

Help us to love, to know, and to worship You, in Spirit and in Truth.

Thank You that, yes, concerning each one of us, You are, indeed, “talking to me.”

We reach out and call out to You now.

Receive it for Your Glory.

Thank You for hearing and for knowing us thoroughly.

We come to You and we receive You; thank You for receiving us. 

Amen.

Copyright © 2026 by Sheryle Cruse