Pharisees

Mark 7:1 Now the Pharisees and some of the experts in the law who came from Jerusalem gathered around him. 2 And they saw that some of Jesus’ disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, holding fast to the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold fast to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches.) 5 The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashed hands?” 6 He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me.

7 They worship me in vain,

teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’

8 Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition.” 9 He also said to them, “You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you would have received from me is corban’ (that is, a gift for God), 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this.”

Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHWH your God which I command you.

The pharisee’s had religion but they made their own traditions and rules. They they were not as scrupulous for YHWH’s law as they are made out to be. Actually they made YHVH’s laws of no effect by altering them in a self serving manner and adding their own laws to YHVH’s Laws. Yeshua accused them that they “strained at the gnat but swallowed the camel” that, they wanted to “remove the splinter from their neighbors eye but neglect the log that was in their own eye”. Many evangelical Christians do this today, they will kill you or jail you for aborting a fetus. But, still oppose any program that provides for child welfare. They tout the word of God and condemn the sins of others vehemently. But, make light of their own sins by claiming “Jesus paid it all”. They are forgetful that God also instructed us to forgive others and not to condemn or judge then. They oppose immigration. They are willing to separate families and put children in cages although YHWH commands them to welcome the foreigner and treat him like a citizen and a brother.

Leviticus 19:33-34 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”

They admire the rich and powerful and despise the poor even though Jesus disaproved of accumulating wealth.

Matthew 19:24 “I’ll say it again-it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of A needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

Jesus had much to say to the Pharisees and much of it was in condemnation. He had nothing to say about abortion. He had nothing to say about homosexuality. Both of these were commonly practiced in His day. He had a lot to say about hypocrisy. He had a lot to say about mercy and forgiveness. He had a lot to say about wealth, giving and the hoarding of wealth. He had a lot to say about loving each other and treating each other as you would like to be treated. He opposed the self righteous and forgave the worst of sinners when they asked for forgiveness. He was tolerant of everything…… except, for sin and what modern American evangelicals have become, Hypocritical Pharisees.