Guess Who!

He was a respected man in his community, a patriotic citizen, and a leading member of his congregation. He could always be seen in church, at both the regular and festival services. His regular offerings totaled $2,000 per year out of an annual salary of $20,000. He was assiduous in his devotional life, and he never missed his appointed time for prayer, no matter where he was or how busy he might be. He was scrupulously honest in his dealings. He was never seen in bad company. He was deeply concerned about purity of doctrine and practice, and when he discovered what he was convinced were departures from a sound confessional position, he had the courage to protest.

He was a typical member of a Wisconsin Synod church, as we would like to see him, right? No, he was a pharisee – a composite drawn from such passages of the Bible as Luke 18.

Satan has peculiar temptations for every kind of person, and for the dedicated church member Pharisaism is one of the strongest. The way to destruction is broad, and there is room on it for the religious by preference and the righteous by comparison, as well as for the ungodly and the blasphemers.

Scripture exhorts us to add to our faith virtue, but the way which leads to life is traveled by breast-smiters rather than by finger-pointers.

---Editorial written by Pastor Immanuel Frey
---Northwestern Lutheran April 8, 1973