Jesus' View

Jesus castigated the scribes and Pharisees as hypocritical. "They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger." Yes, the load was heavy, and the yoke imposed on the people was harsh. Jesus went on to call the scribes and Pharisees " fools." A fool is a menace to the communtiy. Jesus also called the scribes and Pharisees "blind guides and asserted that they had disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely justice and mercy and faithfullness." Who would want Jesus to think of him as Pharisaic? - Matthew 23:1-4, 16, 17, 23.

Almost any reader of the Gospel accounts can see the critical nature of most Pharisees. After Jesus invited Matthew Levi, the tax collector, to become a disciple, Levi spread a big reception feast for him. The account says: " At this the Pharisees and their scribes began murmuring to his disciples, saying: 'Why is it you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' In reply Jesus said to them: . . . I have come to call, not righteous persons, but sinners to repentance.' " - Luke 5:27-32.

Levi made himself appreciated something else Jesus said on that occasion: "Go, then, and learn what this means. ' I want mercy, and not sacrifice.' " (Matthew 9:13) Although the Pharisees claimed to believe in the writings of the Hebrew prophets, they did not embrace this saying from Hosea 6:6. If they were going to err, they made sure it would be on the side of obedience to tradition. Each of us could ask ourselves, 'Do I have a reputation for being a stickler for certain rules, such as ones that reflect personal opinion or common approaches to a matter? Or do others think of me as being first of all merciful and good?

Pick, pick, Pick. That was the Pharisaic way. The Pharisees look for every flaw - real or imagined. They kept people on the defensive and reminded them or their failures. The pharisees prided themselves on tithing the tiniest herbs, like mint, dill and cumin. The advertised their piety by their dress and tried to direct the nation. Surely, if our actions are to be in harmony with Jesus' example, we must avoid the tendency of always looking for and highlighting the flaws in others.

Next time: How Did Jesus Handle Problems?