In this section you can find a daily commentary on the Gospel of the Day.

Tuesday 23 March 2021

Fifth Week of Lent

Word for today
The Gospel of John 8:21-30

The Pharisee

Beyond its historical and religious connotation, according to Jesus, the term pharisee refers to a particular inner being, to a well-defined bias of the mind which Jesus is careful to delineate because it is very dangerous for life.
The pharisee is someone who examines people, God and life, yet he/she does not know what intellectual honesty is and has decided not to change the mental sequences of his/her prejudices even in view of relevant evidence. He/she, therefore, examines but does not seek, knocks at the door but does not want it to be opened or, in other words, does not want to know reality. The pharisee examines without understanding, he/she looks without seeing, he/she is curious, but not out of love.  Jesus says: You will look for me, in Greek zetèsete. Literally the verb zetèo meaning "I investigate," "I examine," "I inquire," "I ask."
The pharisee lives and dies with the presumption and arrogant security of being able to see while remaining blind to reality. His/her mind is totally devoted to prejudice, Jesus says: you will die in your sins.
The pharisee follows the law and defends morality but he/she is unable to perceive the divinity of Jesus; he/she criticizes his/her fellow men, is on the side of justice and truth, but he/she cannot perceive the divinity of Jesus;  he/she accuses his/her fellow men in order to condemn and fight evil, but he/she cannot perceive the divinity of Jesus, and Jesus says: for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.
The pharisee believes he/she is the master of the world and does not recognize God's arms as a place for peacefuly letting go. He/she lives the earthly experience in a religious perspective, but he/she is entirely dedicated to competing and to the exercise of power without looking at and believing in the eternal life in God's heaven, Jesus says: Where I am going you cannot come.
The pharisee  sees earth and the earthly experience as a great opportunity to prey on his/her fellow men, in the name of power, success, human glory. His/her gaze is always looking downwards, always challenging everything and everyone in the name of his/her personal interests and benefits, protected by the law that he/she has made, immersed in prejudice. Jesus says: You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above, literally, you are from the things below, I am from the things above.
The pharisee, although created by God, has renounced his/her divine origin and considers the world, family, interests, achievements, bonds, and earthly projects as his/her own generative source from which he/she can absorb energy and of which he/she can have full and total control. He/she is at war with the vision of prophecy, with the novelty of the Spirit, in total contrast with the perspectives and visions which are not dictated or consolidated by the system. He/she does not at all recognize the divine origin of Jesus, of His word, or His love for us, Jesus says: You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world, literally: You are from this world, I am not from this world.
Jesus warns us about the dangerous mental orientation that is the core of the emotional and psychic structure of the person who is very dangerous for life: the Pharisee.