We, the Pharisees

Disclaimer: I'm going to be a little harsh on the Pharisees here. I do not mean this by any means as a critique of the Jewish people as a whole. I have great respect for the Jewish people. After all, the Bible was written by Jewish people. Jesus was Jewish. The disciples were Jewish. Apostle Paul was Jewish. Christianity has its roots in Judaism. Judaism is a beautiful culture. I stand firmly against any and all anti-Jewish sentiment, just as I do against other forms of prejudice and racism.

If you’ve been around Church for any amount of time, you have likely heard about the Pharisees. What you have heard has perhaps not been flattering. You may have even heard Christians – usually the Christians which that particular church doesn't agree with – described as Pharisees.

Is that a fair comparison?

I am about to argue that it is.

Let’s start with a little bit of Jewish history.

The Jewish people, also called the Israelites in the Old Testament, were a people set apart by God to be His people and to serve as a light to the world (Isaiah 42:6-7). They were in a covenant relationship with God, designed to carry His blessing and to show everyone the benefits of being in relationship with the Creator.

As would be true of any people, the Israelites were not perfect at this.  They were influenced and swayed by surrounding cultures time and time again, falling into idolatry or breaking away from God's law. Then God would send prophets, men and women of God, who would go out and call the people back to Him.

First, the Israelites met with God and brought their prayers and sacrifices to a tabernacle, and then, when they were planted in the Promised Land, to the temple. The temple stood tall in the middle of the city, a beautiful reminder of Who they served. The first temple was built by King Solomon in about 1000 BC. It lasted over four hundred years before it was destroyed by the Babylonians, and the people were exiled.

This was a dark time in the Israelites' history. Without the temple and as exiles in a foreign land, many of the Israelites assimilated to the new culture they were in. Although a few stood out like Daniel and his friends, who were able to be lights in this new environment, many found themselves absorbing the culture around them and losing the uniqueness of their faith and culture.

It was nearly a hundred years later before the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians, who allowed the Israelites to move back to their homeland and rebuild the temple. The second temple was built around 520 BC. With the establishment of the new temple, the people were called back to God, to return to His ways, to follow His law, and to make the temple the center of their life and faith again.

Then in 333 BC, Alexander the Great came on the scene. He took over Persia and established Greek culture. The people within his territory, including the Israelites, were pressured to learn Greek and assimilate to the Greek cultural and religious traditions.

Many people did, so much so that the New Testament was even written in Greek, though the audience was primarily Jewish. 

Sometime later, a local governor, Antiochus, stirred the anger of the Israelites by going into the temple and establishing Greek gods in place of the God. A group of resistance fighters, led by a man named Judas Maccabeus, fought back.  They were so successful that they not only regained control of the temple but of their country and maintained their independence as a free state until the Roman invasion in 63 BC.

When the Romans took over, the Israelites feared once again losing their identity, as they had under Babylonian and then Greek rule. They had seen how the populace could easily lose sight of God and the ways of Jewish belief and practice. They worried about losing their culture, their religion, their way of life.

Several groups sprouted up during this time. One of them, was the Pharisees.

The Pharisees were primarily teachers of the law and leaders of the synagogue. They were not priests, but they dedicated their lives to studying and teaching the Scriptures and following the law to the letter. They even took an oath in front of witnesses to ensure their commitment to the law. Their goal was to teach the people how to live the law in their everyday life. 

At one point, the Pharisees tried to convince Jewish leadership that the synagogue, rather than the temple, should be the center of Jewish life and faith. This is viewed sometimes as an effort to take control from the priests - who were in charge of the temple and often the most influential in the community - and perhaps it was, in part.  They were a political sect as much as they were a religious one.

The Pharisees believed both in the written law and in the oral law. Jewish tradition states that the oral law originated during the time of Moses. The belief is that God told them to Moses, who passed them on through the generations. Since they were instituted by God, they therefore hold the same weight as the written law.

This period of time, however, is the first time there is any written mention of the oral law. It is not referenced in the Old Testament or any other Jewish writing. While it is possible tradition is correct, some Bible scholars believe it was the Pharisees who came up with these oral traditions. They are believed to be a means of "buffering" the written laws to keep people from breaking them. They also serve to explain the law and how one is supposed to live it out. 

This desire to protect Jewish culture and religion ran strong in the people, but especially in their leadership. In order to guard themselves from outside influence, even their interactions with non-Jewish people were restricted. Gentiles and even the Samaritans who were half-Jewish were considered "unclean" and not allowed in the temple. There were laws against inter-marrying, against visiting each other's houses, and against eating or otherwise associating together. 

It should be noted, in all fairness, it is a good thing to want to hold onto one's beliefs. It is a good thing to want to live in the way God ordained and to honor Him. Devotion and commitment to one's faith is admirable. It only becomes an issue when the keeping of one's faith and beliefs means harming or infringing upon the rights of others.

This is the setting where we see Jesus coming on the scene.

Jesus had harsh words for the Pharisees. He accused them of not having pure motives.  He accused them of making it hard for people to get to God. He accused them of being more concerned about outward actions than inward heart-change.

Jesus was saying, it’s not all about you! This is not about establishing a kingdom of Israel. You were called as a light to the world. You can’t hoard that light or that blessing to yourself. You are to love others - even those different from you, even those who might be "unclean" - all people. Love as I have loved you.   

This was incredibly offensive to the Pharisees (as well as others). They believed they were special. God's people. God's land. And their Messiah would come and re-build their kingdom.

Jesus was viewed as a threat to their way of life.

And they had Him put to death for it.

The Pharisees have often been accused of being power hungry and nationalistic. And perhaps they were. (You could say, a little tongue in cheekily, they wanted to make Israel great again.) But I doubt they saw themselves that way. Possibly, they saw themselves as true Israelites, standing up for their country, trying to protect what God had ordained, wanting to see their race and culture and religion continue forward to future generations. They likely saw themselves as the hero in the story. And, since their writings after the collapse of the second temple are what helped preserve the Jewish culture - they were, partially at least, successful.

I have written before about how in the Church in America today we have often confused American ideology, politics, power, and privilege with our faith. There are many Christians who believe we are a Christian nation, and that we are blessed because of it.  My argument is we have never been a Christian nation, nor are we now, and the blessing that is perceived as being bestowed upon us for being a Christian nation, is actually privilege.

As White Evangelicals in particular, we hold a great deal of privilege in this country.  That privilege is currently being challenged as many are pushing for a more equitable society. Where no one race or religion or ethnicity or gender is held higher or granted more rights than another.

This has put many Christians on the defensive because we don’t want to lose the privilege. We fear what will become of us if we do.

Not that dissimilarly, then, to the Pharisees. They also feared losing God's favor if the people strayed from God's law. They also feared what would become of them if they did. They tried to maintain control through the passing of more laws. Lots and lots of laws, as well as punishment for those who didn’t follow their laws.

That also sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Christians who feel they are being pushed in the corner as their privileges are being challenged are fighting back through laws. Very unfair laws, many of which are extremely hurtful. This is the way they believe they can maintain their privilege.

It is interesting that Jesus had an entirely different approach. I read an article recently which noted that many Christians believe Jesus' approach was too soft. (Can you imagine? Thinking you know better than Jesus?)

Jesus was about the law of love. He was against establishing an earthly kingdom and for establishing His Kingdom on Earth. He said, put down your sword. Love your neighbor. Love your enemies. Love God. Love those different from you. Love the outcasts. Love.

It is love which makes the difference. It is love which changes people, changes communities, changes countries. It is love which brings people into relationship with Him - and all people are welcome.

Because love… Love conquers all.

If we truly want to make a difference, we must do so God's way, through seeking justice, loving mercy, walking humbly, and following the path that our Savior has laid out for us. 

Let's not be Pharisees.