Part 1 - Hophini and Phineas

Great names.

Bad dudes.

They were the sons of the wonderful man of God, Eli.

Everyone loved Eli. He was a blessing to all.

No one loved Hophni and Phineas. They were a blessing to no one.

Their dad lived an others-centered life.

These two brothers lived a self-centered life.

Dad used his position to serve the people.

The brothers used their position to force the people to serve them.

As we read the story, in the 1 Sam. 2-4 it is easy to write Hophni and Phineas off as “the bad guys.” And in part, it is right to do so, for they were bad guys. Yet we mustn’t blow past the warning their villainy provides for us.

Despite a Godly lineage, it only took a few poor choices to send them down a road they never recovered from. Not because of God’s lack of grace. No, rather, because the self-centered life was too appealing for them to embrace God’s grace to change.

And my goodness, it cost them in the end.

What was true for them can be true for us.

Living a life of humility and service is the better way.

Part 2 - Pharisees

The pharisees back in Jesus’ day were the religious leaders, commissioned with the task of training and caring for God’s people.

Somewhere along the line they lost sight of who God was and what their role was meant to be.

Instead of using their position to influence for good, to encourage, and to inform the people of God’s mercies, they used their position to spiritual abuse the people, to heap countless rules and regulations upon them, and to advance their own station.

Bummer.

It’s easy to lose sight of what church and the actions around church are supposed to be about. I could tell you stories of how my seminary profs would rail against grace filled churches because they didn’t have a big fancy “grace table.” Or how they would rail against a church that didn’t have the big fancy baptismal. They had become so focused on the tools that pointed to grace that they forgot grace was the point – not the table or the fount!

Bummer.

Let’s be honest. It’s easy to shake our heads at Pharisees and Professors. The reality is we too are prone to love the means over the end they were meant to lead us too.

Bummer.