Pharisees: Part I

I think it's kind of funny how within the word "Pharisee," there's the word "see". The reason I find this funny is because, in Jesus' day, the Pharisees didn't really see. Look at Matthew 9:9-13:

"As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. 'Follow me,' he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and 'sinners' came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and "sinners"?'
On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"

Here you have a rather disagreeable character--Matthew. He collected taxes, and everyone knew what vile, dishonest men tax collectors were. But Jesus chose to make him his disciple. In picking His disciples, Jesus verified what he was saying to the pharisees here: He came for sinners. Look at the men He chose: fishermen, tax collectors, Judas...Peter. Not exactly the prestigious and righteous.
I don't think it's because he didn't like the Pharisees, though. I've heard it said that Jesus probably loved the Pharisees. If you look throughout the Gospels, the Pharisees are the people with whom Jesus spends a lot of His time talking to! And following Jesus time here on Earth--well, you have Paul. Jesus chose Paul as His messenger--the new Apostle. And Paul was a Pharisee bent on wiping out those lowly Christians before He came to know Christ.
But that's not my whole point. My point is, there's a lot the Pharisees were missing. Here, Jesus is sharing company with those the Church of that day deemed unholy, unclean, unfit for spending time with. And Jesus answers their question, "Why?" by telling them to go find out the meaning of this phrase: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."
It comes from Hosea 6:6, and it's God that's speaking. Sacrifice was the most commonly known practice of Jewish custom. It was the act of repentance and homage to God. Unfortunately, as with a lot of religious practices, it had become ritualized. Jesus is basically saying to them here, "It's not your religious practices I'm wanting. It's hearts of compassion and sincere love."
The Pharisees thought they had it all together. Jesus was letting them know that He hadn't come for those who were on top of things. He came for the needy. The irony is that the Pharisees, in their lack of seeing, were likely the neediest of them all.

Hymn 2: O Perfect Love

This is a prayer. For family, for love, for home.

"O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,
Lowly we kneel in prayer before Thy throne,
That theirs may be the love which knows no ending,
Whom Thou forevermore dost join in one.

O perfect Life, be Thou their full assurance
Of tender charity and steadfast faith,
Of patient hope and quiet brave endurance,
With childlike trust that fears no pain nor death.

Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow;
Grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife,
And to life's day the glorious unknown morrow
That dawns upon eternal love and life."

Gurney, Dorothy B.; Joseph Barnby; John Stainer. The Baptist Hymnal. Convention Press, Nashville. © 1991.

Hymn 1: The Servant Song

I love hymns. Songs that have been around awhile have a way of saying things that conveys to us they know something. This is one of my favorites. It's called "The Servant Song"

"We are trav'lers on a journey,
Fellow pilgrims on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night-time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.

Sister, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant, too.
Brother, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant, too.

I will weep when you are weeping,
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow,
Till we've seen this journey thro'.
When we sing to God in heaven,
We shall find such harmony,
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony."

Gillard, Richard; James H. Wood. The Baptist Hymnal. Convention Press, Nashville. © 1991.