Treasure in jars of clay

For each UW-River Falls home football game, I have the opportunity to meet with the team prior to their pregame warm-ups. I share with them words of advice as they enter the competitive arena. We have a great relationship, the football team and I, because of my experience as an athlete/coach and their eagerness to reach their full potential.

This morning, I prefaced our conversation with the idea of stepping up to our highest level of living and stepping into our highest potential as athletes and human beings. I wanted to encourage them to live in their greatest capacity. First, we looked at what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:

Do you not know that in a race all the runner run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I love this particular verse because Paul uses athletics as a metaphor to describe our spiritual journey. As an athlete, I can relate to strict training and beating my body. However, this is a notion that most individuals choose to avoid. But would you rather be average at something that is easy, or great at something that is difficult? See, Paul is saying that we are in a race - whether we like it or not - so we might as well run to win. The best things in life don't come easily, right, but what's the point?

Moving forward to another letter from Paul, he addresses the Philippians by telling them that they can do everything through him (God) who gives them strength. In fact, as we read the text, we can insert our own names into this sentence: "I, Kevin, can do everything through him who give me strength." However, the most important part of this sentence is not your own name at the beginning, it's the second half of the sentence. So we don't become arrogant in our own abilities, it's clear that the strength comes from God.

What does that strength look like? Paul paints the picture in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12. He talks about being perplexed, persecuted and struck down. Again, as an athlete, these are adjectives that I can clearly identify with. If I desire to go into "strict training," I will feel the pressures of wanting to give up and give in. Still, there's hope. Paul said that we have "this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (v. 7). Remember the Philippians verse? God gives us the strength and this is how we show it to others.

Our treasure is inside a jar clay. Does this seem odd to you? If I have a valuable treasure, I'm going to store it inside something much stronger than a jar clay. I'm probably going to get a vault in a highly secured location to be sure it's safe, but this irony is beautifully articulated in this verse. We actually need the jar to break to expose the treasure that is inside! Everything will become difficult, but this treasure is a new strength inside of us. Something we were not aware that we possessed. We need to be broken to let the treasure shine.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around with us the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Fearfully and wonderfully made

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~ Psalm 139:14

Teaching principles, not practices

It has been five years since I earned my secondary education certificate in Broad Field Social Studies. I anticipated becoming a high school history teacher, but circumstances led me a different direction. I do use my degree and education to become a better coach because I look at myself as a life long learner. We never outgrow learning and I'm trying to instill this attitude in my athletes leading by example.

I read many resources that help me develop my leadership abilities, managerial skills and overall communicating techniques. I believe I can learn from anyone, at anytime. This attitude led me to find a famous leadership expert named James C. Maxwell. He wrote The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. It is the leading leadership building tool for leaders across the world. Teaching principles, not practices, is a very important idea that I have pulled from it.

A principle is an adopted rule or method for application in action. I choose this definition because it describes best how we need to approach learning (in athletics, school, life, etc.). It requires "action," or doing something about what we already know. The reason principles are so important is because they are general and applicable in many situations. Practices are not.

A practice is a habitual or customary performance. Clearly, it is important to develop sound habits or, in athletics, muscle memory. However, practices are unique to a certain set of circumstances. Often times, each practice can only be applied if the situation calls for it. Principles include more than one practice.

The application of teaching principles over practices in the sport of wrestling is crucial. My responsibility as a coach is teach each athlete how to compete well as a wrestler. They need to know how to wrestle during competition, not drill or execute a certain amount of wrestling moves. Obviously, I teach basic skills to develop muscle memory, but not to teach each wrestler new "moves." If I teach them 1,000 wrestling moves, they may become a good wrestling coach, so I teach them general principles so they can be great wrestlers.

If you're a coach, teacher, parent, businessman, etc., focus on teaching principles, not practices. If you teach principles well, you will inevitably teach practices along the way. However, if you teach only practices, you may miss on the big picture, which is principles.

How to write a blog...

When I first started my blog, I had many ideas that I wanted to write about, but no direction. I wanted to have motivating/inspiring topics, spiritual topics, sports-related topics and cooking topics. Once I started a separate cooking blog, this one started to develop its own characteristics.

I have used Lend Me Your Imagination as a sort of journey into the playground of my brain. I want to reveal what is going on inside my head. It's like it has become an online journal of sorts, and I'm inviting the world to read it.

In my short time as a blogger, I find that the best ones are when I get out of the way and pour out what God is pouring into me. The worst ones are when I try to report on something I know nothing about. If I can be honest and give my experiences, people will be interested. When I get out of the way of the story, instead of manufacturing one, it makes sense.

"The lie is that you need to know your voice as a writer before you write. The truth is you won't unless you write."

I used this quote in my first blog entry. I feel like I'm beginning to find my voice as a writer. The more I write, the more I understand about myself and what I'm trying to say even if I still don't know exactly that is. I guess I'm just trying to get out of the way. The words find their way to the keyboard without me interrupting. Hopefully something good comes of it. I think it will.

What is it all for?

Recently I was having a discussion with one of my athletes about what it takes to get to the "next level." I often talk about using athletics as an avenue to become what we are created to be. This looks different for everyone, but I actively strive to encourage my male athletes to be great men. Getting to the next level requires one to use everything he has to be his best and do his best while entering into manhood.

Last spring, as I was developing the curriculum for my summer camp system, I stumbled across Raising a Modern Day Knight by Robert Lewis. This book was written to fathers of young boys and encourages them to raise their sons similar to the medieval knights. Lewis is clear that we need to raise our sons to be great men, but just knowing this is not enough. We must have a vision for manhood.

I have heard parents, teachers and coaches instruct young boys to be men. It usually happens when they are trying to correct an error. It typically sounds like, "come on, be a man!" or "step up and be man." What does be a man mean, though? Often times we attempt to instruct young boys to be men with no clear vision of what that looks like. Lewis gives us a vision for manhood with four clear objectives and added a code of conduct as a means to produce men.

A Vision for Manhood

Lewis states four manhood principles: Real men (1) reject passivity, (2) accept responsibility, (3) lead courageously, and (4) expect the greater reward. He suggests that though men have a natural inborn aggressiveness, they tend to become passive at home and avoid social responsibility. These principles, if followed, prevent passivity from becoming a significant problem.

My answer to that athlete about getting to the next level dealt primarily with the fourth principle - expecting the greater reward. We preach the first three principles on a regular basis in many arenas of life, but often times we don't go as far as to add the fourth principle. It's uncomfortable and unacceptable to speak of living for more than ourselves. People generally feel that it crosses an imaginary line into spiritual topics that become taboo to mention. However, our spirit is part of our lives.

Athletes refer to the spiritual dimension in many ways. What I call our "soul" is often synonymous with words like heart, drive and desire. It is a key component of the Total Athlete (body, mind and soul). Regardless of what we call it, this is the focus of the fourth principle. In order to become the best that we can be, we need to train the spiritual dimension, too. We train our soul by expecting the greater reward.

A Real Man Expects the Greater Reward

He cautions that all of the above require a duty of sacrifice, but that the knight can expect non-material rewards, such as an honorable name, respect of his community, etc.

Being a man is never a selfish endeavor. Individuals are not the main characters in the story of life. It's not about me. It's not about you. We all have higher callings and responsibilities that extend beyond ourselves. Lewis referred to this as a transcendent cause.

Life is ultimately unsatisfying if it is lived solely for self. Jesus said if you give up your life you will find it, so if you live for a cause greater than yourself, you'll be happy and fulfilled. A transcendent cause is a cause that a person believes is truly heroic (a noble endeavor calling for bravery and sacrifice), timeless (has significance beyond the moment), and is supremely meaningful (not futile).

Immediately, I think of great movies like Braveheart, Gladiator and Last of the Mohicans. These are great movies because the transcendent cause in each is so evident. It is the central theme in the story and make each character's struggle worth it.

This athlete asked what it takes to get to the next level. He wanted to know "the secret." It's simple: fight for a bigger cause. It's not about us as individuals. We can't just think of ourselves if we desire to be the best that we can be. We need a vision for manhood and a transcendent cause.

More obedience, please

When I wake up every morning, I look into the mirror while I brush my teeth. In fact, I look in the mirror frequently throughout each day. Sometimes it's to survey my outfit or to check my receding hairline. Other times, I just enjoy saying hi to myself.

The purpose of a mirror is to accurately reflect what you look like. And in doing so, that you may be able to discern imperfections that you might do something about. When does one leave the mirror if a blemish or flaw that can be fixed is starring back at them?

I think this what James was getting at in James 1:22-25. In summary, he basically says that we should obey what we read in the Bible. If we don't, it's like a man who looks in the mirror and forgets what he looks like once he walks away. Well, God's Word is like a mirror.

The Bible gives us a perfect reflection of who we are. It exposes all of our imperfections and flaws. Choosing not to obey God's Word is like seeing a major flaw in the mirror and simply walking away.

Steven Furtick said in a March sermon that, "God's word is simple, but not simplistic." It reveals who we are and clearly tells us how to fix our imperfections. It's through obedience.

Obedience is not a call for legalism or a set of rules to follow. Instead, it's doing what we know is right and responding to what we see in the mirror of imperfection. Furtick also stated that a problem arises when we become educated beyond our level of obedience.

We have a knowledge surplus and an obedience deficiency in the United States. We don't need to read more books, hear more sermons or go to more conferences. We need to look at who we are and allow God to do what he does best--fix us.

The Word of God is plain and shows what is there. What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. ~ James 1:22-25

Reacting vs. Responding

When I was in high school I received tremendous advice from my dad about the difference between reacting and responding. He recalled a time when his grandfather used an analogy about penicillin to describe the two. I reference back to it often throughout each day with conflict resolution or handling difficult situations.

Responding is preferred to reacting in all situations. Penicillin was created to help sick people. When we respond positively to the use of penicillin, it has the power to save our lives. However, if we react to it, we can die. This simple analogy was permanently etched into my mind when I was 14 years old. I believe that sometimes the difference between reacting and responding can be a life and death matter.

Richard Flint, a personal development speakers, says, "It's so easy to react. But responding takes another set of skills that every manager should have." Responding requires calmness and stability. If we make decisions based on our emotions, it is likely that we will react. Every time you react, you lose control of the environment and turn an opportunity into an obstacle.

Emotionally, stay cool. Each time you feel yourself starting to speed up emotionally, stop whatever you're doing, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: "What can I do to turn this into a positive experience?" If you don't slow down, you'll race in, spread your emotions all over the place, leave, and then have created a crisis attached to a crisis. The result is total confusion and frustration. Just make yourself slow down and ask questions, rather than make statements.

I use the movies Matrix and Wanted to explain this idea to athletes when they are learning new techniques. We need to step outside of ourselves and see the situation for what it truly is, this is putting everything is perspective. In both movies, characters are able to slow the world down around them and see things moving in slow motion. The can make better decisions because they see everything unfolding before their eyes. This allows us to see the silver lining and to actively chose to respond instead of reacting.

Stay focused on the solution, not the problem. Pause and ask questions before you give out information or make decisions. Examine your attitude, regulate your emotions and try alternative behaviors. You choose to react or to respond.

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." ~ Ephesians 4:31-32

Stop reacting and start responding.

He will rejoice over you with singing

Do you rejoice over events or people in your life with singing? I do. When I experience or feel something new, I immediately think of music lyrics. Often times, I will seek out new songs that I can identify with based on what I am feeling. For me, music has a way of expressing emotions that I sometimes can't find on my own.

As long as I can remember, I have enjoyed many styles of music. In middle school I started listening to the words of songs to understand what the artists were trying to say. I was in middle school during the heights of some amazing artists, such as MC Hammer, Sir Mix-a-lot, Vanilla Ice and the like. Needless to say, my life did not reflect what these 90's rappers were singing about, but I still listened intently. In high school I went through many stages of music, including alternative/grunge, classic rock and pop. Most of the music I listened to was usually associated with athletic endeavors.

Then, in college I started listening to Christian rock. I was certain that I was never going to enjoy Christian rock. After all, it seems as though most of the music in this genre is out dated, and it is, but the lyrics are timeless. Christian rock gave me a fresh perspective on my own life and on my personal relationship with my Savior. It also gave me an avenue to sing praises to God. In a unique way, Christian rock allowed me to view other music in a different way.

When individuals create music and write songs they reveal how they see the world. Every one's perceptions of the world is shaped through their experiences in life. This is why I am so intrigued by music and lyrics. It gives us a snapshot of what someone is feeling - joy, happiness, confusion, mistrust, anger, sadness, love, etc.

God creates his own music and rejoices over us with singing. In Zephaniah 3:17, we get a snapshot of how God views us as His followers. It says, "The Lord your god is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Instead of fleeing in the face of danger, God can save his people from it (Ex. 14:30). This verse remarkably adds that God himself will rejoice over you with gladness. He personally delights in those who seek and follow him. This is not an aloof, emotionless contentment, but it bursts forth in joyful divine celebration: he will rejoice over you with singing (ESV Study Bible, page 1738).

It makes me feel good to know that someone is joyfully singing over me. How much greater of a feeling is it to know that the God of the universe rejoices over me so much that he can't help but to sing? I think that's awesome!

Turn The Silver Lining Gold

As the high school wrestling season quickly approaches, we at Victory School of Wrestling are focusing on thinking positively. One of the most powerful tools in athletics is the mind. Our mind determines our approach and orchestrates our abilities (and limits to our abilities). Of course, abilities have physical limitations, but success has many different measuring sticks and we need determine what makes us most successful. That's when a positive outlook becomes important.

In 1634, John Milton wrote a series of poems and short stories in a book that is referred to as Comus. In one story he outlines the heartache that he experienced during a forbidden love relationship. He said, "Was I deciev'd, or did a sable cloud turn forth her silver lining on the night?" Here, the famous slogan "silver lining" was coined. In every situation, even if devastating, there is something positive that can come from it.

With a positive attitude, we should always be able to find the silver lining. The silver lining provides opportunity in every difficulty. We can look at each situation and find something good in it. This is key to achieving success in athletics and in life. Positive attitudes force us to look at the good is all things.

Some view disappointments as a prelude to failure while others view disappointments as stepping stones to success. Most major achievements are born out of failure and disappointments. This is only possible with a positive attitude coming from thinking positively.

"Positive thinking won't let you do anything but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking will." ~ Zig Ziglar. Think about it, positive thinking guarantees you nothing, but you will surely do better with positive thinking than with the contrary.

When God allows us to see the Light, what we discover is that the whole world is in darkness. However, the Holy Spirit gives us a lens to see the good in people and situations. He allows us to find the silver lining.

If we operate with positive thinking and live our lives to a higher standard (gold standard), we can take the lyrics from a popular Rilo Kiley song and apply them directly to our lives. Lead singer Jenny Lewis sings, "I'm your silver lining...but now I'm gold."

Find the silver lining and turn it gold.

You Can't Play Today's Game By Yesterday's Rules

Yesterday I had the privilege to hear Rod Olson speak at the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation Annual Meeting. "Coach O" is a former football coach who has organized his life to help coaches understand what is most important - teaching character. His presentation, called "Motivating the 21st Century Athlete," spoke directly to me as a coach.

When I was a junior in college, wrestling at the University of Wisconsin, we landed the number one recruiting class in the nation. We had 8-10 "can't miss" athletes that committed to our program in hopes of becoming national champions. Needless to say, they didn't completely live up to the expectations that the wrestling community had.

I saw something different in that group of athletes. I sensed that they felt entitled to something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. As we were striving for excellence, individuals from that recruiting class fell by the wayside.

When I finished competing, I started to look at athletics from a different perspective, that being a coach. I saw how people were motivated and learned differently. At first, I didn't know what to make of this phenomenon. I come from an "old school" mentality where everyone worked hard and followed authority and rules. This is not the case for the 21st century athlete.

Through a variety of education classes, I became aware of multiple intelligence levels, different learning styles and different teaching techniques. I was very motivated and inspired to reach out to this new kind of athlete. The most important lesson I learned in education is to know your students.

Coach O reconfirmed many of my personal coaching philosophies and helped me add to them. We do, in fact, need to develop healthy relationships with our athletes to become successful coaches. Also, we need to treat them all as individuals with different interests, desires, motivating factors, strengths, etc. Developing a "system" where everyone does the same routine is out-of-date and no longer the best practice.

In trying to understand the today's athlete, think about how they have been raised and what society where grew up provides for them. In college, I played massive amounts of Play Station and can identify with a teenager's obsession to gaming devices. However, consider what these machines are teaching these teenagers. Think about it...what does every little kid do when they are losing in their favorite game? They hit the reset button. You can even buy memory cards to save the good games while you get rid of the bad ones. You can go online and find short cuts to success (they even call them "cheat" sheets). This attitude is not limited to X-Box or Play Station. Today, there are no consequences for losing. At youth tournaments, every participate gets a trophy. If you show up, pay your money and do the absolute minimum, you get a reward. This is counter to what I experienced as a young athlete.

Today's athlete is starving for relationship! Everything that they experience is about not being in relationship. They go to practice then go home. Text messages, Twitter, Facebook, etc. are great tools and extremely convenient, but are eliminating real relationships. Real relationships require communication and transparency.

To be a successful coach today, I must change my focus. I love the old school mentality, but I need to make adjustments to reach today's athletes. My role as coach is about relationship. I can't change the entire youth population, but I can meet them where they are at. If I care more about the lives of my athletes than I do their athletic achievements I will seek who they are. If I care more about them as men and women than I do about them as players I will try to capture their hearts.

The secret is relationship. It is the basis of motivation.

"Value people over productivity" ~ Jerry Moore

Happy Birthday, Stephanie

Today is my oldest sister's birthday. Stephanie has been married to Jeff for 6 years and they have a beautiful baby daughter named Sophia.

Stephanie has always been a "ball of energy." From the time my brother and I first started competing in youth sports, she was our biggest (and loudest) fan. She is very small in stature, but quite large when it comes to support.

She is an X-Ray Technician and has an extremely contagious work ethic.

Happy Birthday, Stephanie!!

The Little Things: Parking Spaces

When I finally got my driver's license my sophomore year in high school, I drove to school everyday with my brother. We were very ambitious and often the first car in the parking lot. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we even arrived before the janitor. Needless to say, we had the best parking space day after day.

After graduating from high school, one of my teachers made a comment about our work ethic and discipline stating that when he got to school early in the morning he would see our navy blue Blazer in "our parking spot." That simple statement caused me to wonder about my privileges as an individual.

Matthew 20:16 says, "so the last will be first and the first will be last." As an athlete, my paradigm doesn't jive with this sentence. If I work hard to be first, why should I be last. I can assure myself coming in last if I don't try, right? If I try my best shouldn't I be rewarded? It seems like such a contradiction, but sometimes that's how God spins it.

I don't think this verse from Matthew is supposed to be applied literally in all cases (especially athletics). Instead, it is a matter of the heart. It's a check on our priorities and test of our humility.

Taking it literally, I applied this lesson to my parking space choice in high school. Is God saying to me in that moment to not take the first place parking spot in case someone else needs it? I surely don't need it. I'm capable of walking to the door from the furthest parking space. Ability aside, should I defer from parking in the closest spot because I should recognize that I'm not entitled to it? It is something to ponder.

Now I handle my parking situation differently. I don't take the first place parking spot because I say to myself, "who am I that I should have that privilege?" Now, I look for a parking space closest to the cart corral. This decision is made out of pure convenience. I don't like pushing the shopping cart clear across the parking lot, especially with a baby in the back seat.

Something else to think about regarding parking spaces involves mall parking lots. Why do people break their necks to park as close to the door as possible so they don't have to walk far already knowing they're going to walking 2-3 miles once inside the mall?

Good Bye Gourmet Magazine

Today the dreaded announcement finally came. Gourmet magazine is officially closing. Unfortunately, I have seen this coming for a few months.

Since I was a little kid, I have been fascinated with food. I love trying new dishes and experimenting with ethnic meals while I travel. At a very young age, I gravitated towards the kitchen when my mom made family meals. I often asked what she was doing or how she made my favorite foods like tator-tot casserole, Shepherd's Pie and ravioli. In college, I had to make my own meals and that opened a love for preparing food that I never saw coming.

I started getting Gourmet when I was a junior in college. I admit, I didn't use many of the recipes that were inside, but I was intrigued by what others had to say about a variety of foods. Also, being very visual, I enjoyed the pictures immensely. I saved all of my copies and printed covers offline that I put into frames to decorate my kitchen.

I dreamed about living in my family's old farm house with an amazing and modern kitchen. I would see myself preparing fine meals for loved ones and the many visitors that we would entertain. I envisioned sitting at the kitchen table sipping red wine (even though I don't drink) listening to compliments on the food and keeping my recipes a secret.

I know the Editor in Chief, Ruth Reichl, would have loved the scene. Her column will be sadly missed. Can you believe that she used the word "highfalutin" in last months issue? How cool is that? American home cooks, like myself, will miss the Magazine of Good Living very much.

After all, isn't good living all about good food?

By the way, my most recent issue (October 2009) sported an amazing looking red wine caramel apple, but my one year old destroyed to cover. I can forgive him...

I'm a Sinner

One of my biggest hang-ups lately has been phony Christians. As I have said before, I am not a fan of organized religion. This may seem like a contradiction because I go to church, attend Bible study and don't swear or drink. However, "religion" is not the reason I make these choices. It is because of my faith in Jesus Christ.

Recently, I have tried to submerse myself in God's Word to look for answers about what I am really created to do on this earth. I am also in the process of reading Francis Chan's Crazy Love and Erwin McManus's Barbarian Way. These books, along with what I have found in the Bible, have struck a chord inside me. True Biblical Christianity is not about a set of rules and rituals. It is about asking the tough questions of God and struggling and wrestling with the difference between our own self-indulged will and God's perfect will. It is about being real and authentic.

I have been involved in churches, Christian organizations and bible studies that I believe do as much harm for the advancement of the name and fame of Jesus Christ as they have done good. There are far too many legalistic and phony-baloney sensationalists in the church today who are afraid to get out of their safe environment and experience God for who He truly is. They operate under a set of guidelines that are fake and are not willing to accept people for who they really are - sinful. We are all sinners and are broken and torn apart from our Savior. I'm a sinner, you're a sinner and the squeaky clean church goer is a sinner.

God never intended us to live in an environment that is safe and free from persecution. He wants us to be in the battle. He wants us to struggle with becoming more like Him. He wants us to ask the questions that are really on our hearts and not be afraid if we offend others.

John Acuff wrote about "dorky Christians" in his blog. These type of religious Christians have really gotten under my skin because they're not real. He wrote, "but think about it, no one ever says, 'you know who is cheesy? Muslims.' Rarely will you hear someone proclaim, 'The Hindus are all uptight.' And when Buddhists are stereotyped they're labeled as being 'relaxed and peaceful.' Christians though have a lockdown on dork status."

I think Christians appear cheesy, dorky, fake, phony, etc. because they are afraid of what is really true. They're afraid to admit that they are sinners just like the prostitute.

Imagine what the church would like today if they embraced the words of Melissa Etheridge, "I run for hope, I run to feel, I run for the truth, For all that is real." Is it possible for a lesbian rock-n-roll star to be closer to God than the church-going goody goody that I sit next to in church? I believe Jesus would say "yes."

For me, it comes down to Luke 7:36-50. We are all the prostitute. It is clear that Jesus rejected the Pharisee in this passage. The Pharisees re-wrote the law to fit their needs. The prostitute recognized her need for a savior. We are all the prostitute.