Matt. 16:6: – “Then Jesus said to them,”, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” .”
All four of the gospel writers are consistent in describing Jesus in direct opposition to the religion of His day; namely, the religion of the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. Often Matthew, Mark and Luke would record Jesus’ ministry in a similar manner, while John would take a different approach. However, in the case of religion, all were consistent in their portrayal of the confrontation between Jesus and religion. One could have described Jesus as being opposed to pagan idols, Greek philosophy, or even the works of the flesh, but these were hardly mentioned. Jesus simply dismissed demons with a word, and took great delight in associating with society’s outcasts; tax-collectors, lepers, and even women of ill repute. Instead, Jesus railed against the religious leaders calling them hypocrites, blind fools, whited tombs full of dead men’s bones, serpents, and generation of vipers! This doesn’t seem like the gentle Jesus, meek and mild that is so often preached. In fact, Jesus went out of His way to challenge and confront these religious leaders. Many of Jesus miracle healings and nearly all of His teaching was in direct contradiction to the traditions and rules prescribed by these men. Jesus fully intended His disciples to understand that God the Father was totally opposite than how these leaders represented Him.
Why was Jesus so opposed to these religious leaders? These men boasted that they had Abraham as their father, Moses and the scriptures, prophets, priesthood, temple, feasts, covenants, and sacrifices, but in all this unveiling of truth they had elevated themselves as God and perverted the very character of God so that anyone who was truly seeking to find God would instead be introduced to this perversion, bondage, fear, and hopelessness. There is no greater power in earth than such a religion that has had an unveiling of truth, yet has perverted it for selfish reasons and now drives people away from God. Atheism, paganism, and communism actually drive people to God once they discover the futility of these beliefs, but the religion of the Sadducees and Pharisees drive men away from God.
Who were these religious leaders and how had they so distorted truth?
Approximately 600 years before Jesus, the Torah was rediscovered and a great revival and rededication to God occurred. The remnant learned that obedience to God’s word brought prosperity and disobedience brought curses and captivity. A religious society was formed called the ”“Hasidim”. ” was formed. These men were devoted to God and the scriptures. Ezra was one such man. The Greek invasion brought severe persecution to the Jews. The Greek emperor was intent on destroying the worship of God and issued an edict that no one was to pray. The Hasidim defied this edict and many were martyred for their faith. The Hasidim became national heroes and gained great prominence. During the succeeding years the persecution stopped and the Hasidim lost much of their fervor, yet their opinion of themselves remained inflated. In 135 B.C. a split in the Hasidim occurred and two factions were formed. One was the Sadducees and the other called themselves Separatists. The Separatists gained the nickname of Pharisees.
Sadducees were the very wealthy ruling class of Israel. They were the chief priests and engaged in political intrigue with the Romans. Caiaphas was high priest and Annas, his father-in-law was the “godfather” of Israel. Both were Sadducees. The “Bazaar of the Sons of Annas” was the area of the temple which Jesus cleared out with a whip. Annas grew rich buying and selling in the temple. Sadducees believed only in the first 5 books of the bible. They had only an intellectual belief, not faith-based. They did not believe in the resurrection, judgment, angels, or demons. They were only interested in gaining and protecting their wealth and positions.
Scribes were ordained rabbis. Most scribes were Pharisees who believed the entirety of the scriptures as well as the interpretations of their learned rabbinical scholars. In fact, they gave these interpretations equal standing with the scriptures. Scribes were the real influence among the common people. They were highly esteemed and given great honor. Scribes were full of pride and arrogance. They despised the commoners and called them “sinners”. They actually believed that they alone were a divine aristocracy which was highly esteemed by both angels and even God Himself. They had a real ego problem!
Pharisees were businessmen who had separated themselves from the commoners. They, too, looked with contempt upon “sinners”, yet loved to demonstrate their holiness in front of them. They referred to this as “witnessing”. There were only 6,000 Pharisees in Israel, yet they seemed to be everywhere. They were easily identified. They wore blue robes with long tassels on the hem. Around their wrists and foreheads they wore boxes containing scriptures called phylacteries. This was to demonstrate that the scriptures were always in their minds and work. The Pharisees believed the scriptures and the prophets. They also gave equal weight to the teachings of their learned rabbis who interpreted the scriptures. Pharisees loved to discuss and argue the scriptures. Their intent was not in keeping the Law of God, but in how not to break it. They invented 2,000 additional laws called “fence laws” which were designed to protect them from breaking the Ten Commandments. They considered their own laws to be equal with God’s. Anyone not adhering to their manmade rules would be condemned. It was this religion that Jesus confronted. The Pharisees had over 600 Sabbath laws alone. For example, no one could move a chair on the Sabbath for fear that the legs of the chair might drag stirring up dust. That would constitute “plowing.” Also, a woman could not look in a mirror on Sabbath for fear she would see a gray hair and pluck it out. That would be operating a beauty parlor on the Sabbath! Imagine how many Sabbath laws Jesus and His disciples broke as they walked through a wheat field, plucked the heads of wheat, rolled them in their hands, blew the chaff away and ate (Matt. 12:1-1). Jesus looked for opportunities to challenge these ridiculous laws. He performed many of His miraculous healings right in front of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to demonstrate God’s love compared to their own evil hearts.
Each morning a Pharisee would repeat, “I thank Thee, O God, that I am not a dog; I thank Thee I am not a Gentile; and I thank Thee I am not a woman.” Jesus used part of their own words in the parable of the Pharisee and the repentant publican in Lk. 17: 9-14. Pharisees hated Gentiles and though they would not intentionally put a Gentile in harm, if they found a Gentile in trouble, even a child, they would do nothing to save them. They felt that it was better for a Gentile to die than live. The Pharisees had a saying, “There is joy in the presence of God when a sinner dies.” Jesus turned their saying around as He gave the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son. In Lk. 15: 10, Jesus said, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The Pharisees loved to make converts . They said you must take on the yoke of the Law to be saved. To this Jesus replied, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). Jesus used the Pharisees as negative examples of how to pray (Matt.: 5-7), give alms (Matt. 6: 1-4), and fast (Matt. : 16-18). Had it not been for the negative example of the Pharisees, we would have had much less of Jesus’ teaching recorded in the gospels!
I have a test I apply to my teaching. I call it the “So what” test. So what does this leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees have to do with life today? I believe there are many times more Sadducees and Pharisees today than in Jesus’ day. If Holy Spirit were to leave many churches I truly doubt they would notice any difference in their meetings. Just like the Sadducees, they believe intellectually in part of the scriptures, but have no regard for faith and working of Holy Spirit. I believe the religion of the Pharisees is the spirit of anti-Christ at work in the church today. To be anti is not necessarily to be against something, but rather to be over and against, or to be a substitute for, or a counterfeit of the real thing. There is grave danger today in false conversions to something other than Jesus Christ. Some are led to a personality, others to a doctrine or denomination without ever encountering Christ. Such a counterfeit conversion leads tp a false sense of security and a very real danger of the individual never truly coming to a relationship with Jesus Christ. through Holy Spirit. Just as the religion that Jesus was opposed to, modern scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees have the Holy Bible, hymnbooks, and their form of godliness. They too have an outward pious appearance and strict adherence to traditions and manmade rules. All this appeals to man’s natural instincts and carnal mind, but in reality are in opposition to God. Issuing a religious rule may cause outward compliance for a time, but it has no inward power to transform. Much like muzzling a dog who loves to bite mail carriers’ legs, the biting will stop, but the dog will continue to lust after legs! Just as in Jesus’ day, there are religious leaders who look pure and holy on the outside, but inside is greed, covetousness, pride, arrogance, and spite for others. In Matt. 23, Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees with a series of blistering “Woe to you” comments which openly exposed their hearts. Jesus ends this rebuke with a deep lament over Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as asa hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate” (Matt. 23: 37-38). Outward religion without inward change of heart by entrance of Holy Spirit will never result in lasting change of behavior. Life in Christ is not conformity to a rigid list of rules, but living by the inward witness of Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ came to usher in a new freedom to live by the power of Holy Spirit in Father’s Law of love. Amen.
All four of the gospel writers are consistent in describing Jesus in direct opposition to the religion of His day; namely, the religion of the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. Often Matthew, Mark and Luke would record Jesus’ ministry in a similar manner, while John would take a different approach. However, in the case of religion, all were consistent in their portrayal of the confrontation between Jesus and religion. One could have described Jesus as being opposed to pagan idols, Greek philosophy, or even the works of the flesh, but these were hardly mentioned. Jesus simply dismissed demons with a word, and took great delight in associating with society’s outcasts; tax-collectors, lepers, and even women of ill repute. Instead, Jesus railed against the religious leaders calling them hypocrites, blind fools, whited tombs full of dead men’s bones, serpents, and generation of vipers! This doesn’t seem like the gentle Jesus, meek and mild that is so often preached. In fact, Jesus went out of His way to challenge and confront these religious leaders. Many of Jesus miracle healings and nearly all of His teaching was in direct contradiction to the traditions and rules prescribed by these men. Jesus fully intended His disciples to understand that God the Father was totally opposite than how these leaders represented Him.
Why was Jesus so opposed to these religious leaders? These men boasted that they had Abraham as their father, Moses and the scriptures, prophets, priesthood, temple, feasts, covenants, and sacrifices, but in all this unveiling of truth they had elevated themselves as God and perverted the very character of God so that anyone who was truly seeking to find God would instead be introduced to this perversion, bondage, fear, and hopelessness. There is no greater power in earth than such a religion that has had an unveiling of truth, yet has perverted it for selfish reasons and now drives people away from God. Atheism, paganism, and communism actually drive people to God once they discover the futility of these beliefs, but the religion of the Sadducees and Pharisees drive men away from God.
Who were these religious leaders and how had they so distorted truth?
Approximately 600 years before Jesus, the Torah was rediscovered and a great revival and rededication to God occurred. The remnant learned that obedience to God’s word brought prosperity and disobedience brought curses and captivity. A religious society was formed called the ”“Hasidim”. ” was formed. These men were devoted to God and the scriptures. Ezra was one such man. The Greek invasion brought severe persecution to the Jews. The Greek emperor was intent on destroying the worship of God and issued an edict that no one was to pray. The Hasidim defied this edict and many were martyred for their faith. The Hasidim became national heroes and gained great prominence. During the succeeding years the persecution stopped and the Hasidim lost much of their fervor, yet their opinion of themselves remained inflated. In 135 B.C. a split in the Hasidim occurred and two factions were formed. One was the Sadducees and the other called themselves Separatists. The Separatists gained the nickname of Pharisees.
Sadducees were the very wealthy ruling class of Israel. They were the chief priests and engaged in political intrigue with the Romans. Caiaphas was high priest and Annas, his father-in-law was the “godfather” of Israel. Both were Sadducees. The “Bazaar of the Sons of Annas” was the area of the temple which Jesus cleared out with a whip. Annas grew rich buying and selling in the temple. Sadducees believed only in the first 5 books of the bible. They had only an intellectual belief, not faith-based. They did not believe in the resurrection, judgment, angels, or demons. They were only interested in gaining and protecting their wealth and positions.
Scribes were ordained rabbis. Most scribes were Pharisees who believed the entirety of the scriptures as well as the interpretations of their learned rabbinical scholars. In fact, they gave these interpretations equal standing with the scriptures. Scribes were the real influence among the common people. They were highly esteemed and given great honor. Scribes were full of pride and arrogance. They despised the commoners and called them “sinners”. They actually believed that they alone were a divine aristocracy which was highly esteemed by both angels and even God Himself. They had a real ego problem!
Pharisees were businessmen who had separated themselves from the commoners. They, too, looked with contempt upon “sinners”, yet loved to demonstrate their holiness in front of them. They referred to this as “witnessing”. There were only 6,000 Pharisees in Israel, yet they seemed to be everywhere. They were easily identified. They wore blue robes with long tassels on the hem. Around their wrists and foreheads they wore boxes containing scriptures called phylacteries. This was to demonstrate that the scriptures were always in their minds and work. The Pharisees believed the scriptures and the prophets. They also gave equal weight to the teachings of their learned rabbis who interpreted the scriptures. Pharisees loved to discuss and argue the scriptures. Their intent was not in keeping the Law of God, but in how not to break it. They invented 2,000 additional laws called “fence laws” which were designed to protect them from breaking the Ten Commandments. They considered their own laws to be equal with God’s. Anyone not adhering to their manmade rules would be condemned. It was this religion that Jesus confronted. The Pharisees had over 600 Sabbath laws alone. For example, no one could move a chair on the Sabbath for fear that the legs of the chair might drag stirring up dust. That would constitute “plowing.” Also, a woman could not look in a mirror on Sabbath for fear she would see a gray hair and pluck it out. That would be operating a beauty parlor on the Sabbath! Imagine how many Sabbath laws Jesus and His disciples broke as they walked through a wheat field, plucked the heads of wheat, rolled them in their hands, blew the chaff away and ate (Matt. 12:1-1). Jesus looked for opportunities to challenge these ridiculous laws. He performed many of His miraculous healings right in front of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to demonstrate God’s love compared to their own evil hearts.
Each morning a Pharisee would repeat, “I thank Thee, O God, that I am not a dog; I thank Thee I am not a Gentile; and I thank Thee I am not a woman.” Jesus used part of their own words in the parable of the Pharisee and the repentant publican in Lk. 17: 9-14. Pharisees hated Gentiles and though they would not intentionally put a Gentile in harm, if they found a Gentile in trouble, even a child, they would do nothing to save them. They felt that it was better for a Gentile to die than live. The Pharisees had a saying, “There is joy in the presence of God when a sinner dies.” Jesus turned their saying around as He gave the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son. In Lk. 15: 10, Jesus said, “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The Pharisees loved to make converts . They said you must take on the yoke of the Law to be saved. To this Jesus replied, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). Jesus used the Pharisees as negative examples of how to pray (Matt.: 5-7), give alms (Matt. 6: 1-4), and fast (Matt. : 16-18). Had it not been for the negative example of the Pharisees, we would have had much less of Jesus’ teaching recorded in the gospels!
I have a test I apply to my teaching. I call it the “So what” test. So what does this leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees have to do with life today? I believe there are many times more Sadducees and Pharisees today than in Jesus’ day. If Holy Spirit were to leave many churches I truly doubt they would notice any difference in their meetings. Just like the Sadducees, they believe intellectually in part of the scriptures, but have no regard for faith and working of Holy Spirit. I believe the religion of the Pharisees is the spirit of anti-Christ at work in the church today. To be anti is not necessarily to be against something, but rather to be over and against, or to be a substitute for, or a counterfeit of the real thing. There is grave danger today in false conversions to something other than Jesus Christ. Some are led to a personality, others to a doctrine or denomination without ever encountering Christ. Such a counterfeit conversion leads tp a false sense of security and a very real danger of the individual never truly coming to a relationship with Jesus Christ. through Holy Spirit. Just as the religion that Jesus was opposed to, modern scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees have the Holy Bible, hymnbooks, and their form of godliness. They too have an outward pious appearance and strict adherence to traditions and manmade rules. All this appeals to man’s natural instincts and carnal mind, but in reality are in opposition to God. Issuing a religious rule may cause outward compliance for a time, but it has no inward power to transform. Much like muzzling a dog who loves to bite mail carriers’ legs, the biting will stop, but the dog will continue to lust after legs! Just as in Jesus’ day, there are religious leaders who look pure and holy on the outside, but inside is greed, covetousness, pride, arrogance, and spite for others. In Matt. 23, Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees with a series of blistering “Woe to you” comments which openly exposed their hearts. Jesus ends this rebuke with a deep lament over Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as asa hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate” (Matt. 23: 37-38). Outward religion without inward change of heart by entrance of Holy Spirit will never result in lasting change of behavior. Life in Christ is not conformity to a rigid list of rules, but living by the inward witness of Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ came to usher in a new freedom to live by the power of Holy Spirit in Father’s Law of love. Amen.