Seeing myself in the Pharisees – Part 3

About two years ago on a survey trip to Cameroon, I remember our mission board’s administrator telling me about a book he was reading called Extreme Righteousness: Seeing Ourselves in the Pharisees by Tom Hovestol.  As I began to think more about how I was like the Pharisees, the Lord brought this book to my mind and I decided that I would look into it.  Being a book connoisseur and since it came highly recommended, I figured that it was worth owning and thus attempted to find it in my local Barnes & Noble – to no avail since the book is out of print.  So I did the next best thing and looked on Amazon for the book.  When I checked on the title, sure enough the book came up along with the opportunity to “Look Inside” the first couple pages… and when I did I was hooked.

Hovestol begins the book by describing how he became interested in studying the Pharisees and then began to describe his own spiritual roots.  As I read his words it was as if I was reading a biography someone had written of my life.  He talked with great thankfulness of the spiritual heritage that he received, but also recognized the “subtle and unseen dangers of being good.”  Avoiding the things that were taboo like dancing, smoking, drinking, rock music, etc. were markers of separation and doing things such as attending church, having devotions, praying, memorizing verses, etc. were often indicators of one’s goodness and spirituality.  It’s not that these things are bad, Hovestol said, for they provided some great advantages in his spiritual life, but they were also dangerous because

“it was easy for my  Christianity to become like a favorite suit that I stepped into rather than an inner, cultivated relationship with a living God… Religious activities became the focus of my life rather than personal devotion to God.  Though my external behavior was excellent, I was gripped by hidden sins of the heart.” 

When I read these words I finally felt like there was someone else out there who was just like me.  Some one who was raised like I was and struggled with the same things I struggled with.  I got a hold of the book courtesy of our seminary library and as I began to read further I found that I literally could not put the book down. I was compelled to read it through to the end, and as I did I gained such a greater understanding not only of the Pharisees, but of myself… who I really am and what I can do, (or, more accurately, allow the Spirit to do) to be different – so that my life can be genuine as Christ’s was rather than hypocritical like the Pharisees.  I am now re-reading the book, slower this time and making notes on how it speaks to me. 

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