Sunday 25 October 2026

Psalm 1

Background
‘Pharisee’ is not a complimentary term in modern parlance. It is used to describe someone who is overly judgmental or legalistic; to be accused of being a Pharisee is to be condemned as someone who is unyielding or who so privileges the letter of the law above its spirit that it stifles creativity. A lot of this usage comes from our reading of the gospels, particularly Matthew and Luke in which Jesus has some harsh things to say about the Pharisees (see, for example, Matthew 23).

This derogatory view is not entirely fair. The Pharisees were a party in first century Judaism whose main concern was the keeping of the Law of Moses. These were people who wanted to please God and were meticulous about doing so, hence the trick question with which Jesus was confronted. Asking which the greatest commandment is inviting Jesus to say, or to imply, that some parts of Torah were of less importance. Jesus’ response was both to answer the question and to state that the whole of the Law mattered, because it all hung on the two principal commandments – to love God and to love one’s neighbour.

The theologian and philosopher Gustavo Gutiérrez points out that what appear to be two commandments are really one. It is possible to focus entirely on the ways we seek to love God (eg, through worship) without loving the people around us and it is possible to engage entirely in practical action that serves our neighbour to the neglect of prayer and worship, but the hollowness of both these approaches is quickly apparent. A distinctly Methodist approach would agree with Gutiérrez; since the time of John Wesley, Methodists have been encouraged to see ‘works of piety’ and ‘works of mercy’ as two sides of one coin.

The last part of our reading today is the climax of Jesus’ dispute with the Pharisees. We who have read the gospel from the beginning know that Jesus is ‘the Son of David’; it is the first thing that Matthew says about him (1:1). When he records Jesus asking how the Son of David the King can also be the Messiah whom David the Psalmist addressed as Lord, Matthew is telling us who he believes Jesus the Messiah is – not so much the warrior king that many would have expected to restore the Davidic dynasty but the one to whom prayers are offered.

To Ponder:

• ‘Works of piety and works of mercy’ might sound old-fashioned in 2026. How would you express what love of God and neighbour means in practical terms today? (You might want to explore A Methodist Way of Life as an expression of this today).
• One of the major questions that runs through Matthew’s Gospel is what does it mean to say Jesus is the Messiah (or Christ). What do you think it means?

Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Jonathan Hustler
Jonathan Hustler is a presbyter who currently serves as the Secretary of the Conference.