“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 38:2 NIV
The Love of God Through Teaching
God shows his love by teaching us. It may seem odd, but any good father does not want their children to be ignorant. We need to know what God wants for us and from us and understand the schemes of our enemy. If He never teaches us, then how will we know?
The bulk of Jesus’ ministry was spent teaching. Beyond the miracles he performed, it was what drew the people. At that time, the religious structure of Judaism had become very corrupt. Those who were supposed to be watching over and ministering to God’s people had become focused on themselves. Jesus came to correct their teachings and show the people God’s heart. To understand who He was up against, we must first understand the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin.
The Pharisees, The Sadducees, and The Sanhedrin
The Pharisees
The Pharisees were a group that emerged around 150 B.C. and ended about 70 A.D. They are considered the fathers of rabbinic Judaism and were primarily made up of Jewish scribes. They believed that Moses’ oral and written traditions were God-given, that God would punish the wicked and reward the righteous in the afterlife, and a messiah would be sent into the world. The apostle Paul was a Pharisee.
Pharisees would be considered conservatives by our modern terminology, but they were legalistic. There are 613 Old Testament laws – which is a lot to keep track of! On top of that, the Pharisees added traditions that heaped more requirements on the people. One quick example is found in Exodus 23:19 (NIV):
“…Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
From that verse, an additional rule was made that meat and dairy cannot be put on the same plate. The point was to ensure the two would never touch, but that’s a far cry from God saying not to cook a baby goat in its mother’s milk. This requirement was not scriptural, but they expected the people to keep it. They were also sorely lacking kindness and compassion.
The Sadducees
The Sadducees were also a religious-political group that rose around 167 B.C. and consisted of primarily wealthy liberal elite aristocrats. They liked the priesthood hierarchy and wanted to keep the structure (High priest, ordinary priests, etc.) but not Godliness. They believed in the literal written Torah but not oral traditions. Therefore, they did not believe there was an afterlife or a spiritual world since the Torah doesn’t speak of it. They were very self-sufficient, with their main focus being the rituals of the Temple. This group ended with the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. Sadducees were usually priests, and they liked the power and position that went with it.
The Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was an ancient Jewish court system made up of Pharisees and Sadducees. The basis of this court came from the Numbers 11:16-17. Verses 11-15 find Moses telling God that the burdens of the Israeli people were too much for him. God’s response is as follows:
“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Bring Me seventy of the elders of Israel known to you as leaders and officers of the people. Bring them to the Tent of Meeting and have them stand there with you.
And I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put that Spirit on them. They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.’” (NIV)
Each town had a Sanhedrin, but the Great Sanhedrin met at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Great Sanhedrin dealt with criminal matters, trials for adultery, tithes, preparing Torah scrolls for the king, and laws about rituals. The majority of them viewed themselves as above the ordinary people and expected them to keep the laws while they were exempt.
Jesus as Teacher
Jesus spent much of his time teaching. As you read the scriptures, notice what he is teaching, who he is teaching, and why he is teaching. You will see that he is undoing the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, allowing the people a chance to see how God operated. It was up to the people to decide which side of the fence they wanted to be on. Jesus summed up his disdain for the behavior of these groups in Matthew 23. Below is an excerpt on hypocrisy, but I strongly suggest you take time to read the entire chapter.
Matthew 23: 1-7
“Then Jesus addressed both the crowds and his disciples and said, ‘The religious scholars and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat as the authorized interpreters of the Law. So listen and follow what they teach, but don’t do what they do, for they tell you one thing and do another. They tie on your backs an oppressive burden of religious obligations and insist that you carry them, but will never lift a finger to help ease your load. Everything they do is done for show and to be noticed by others. They want to be seen as holy, so they wear oversized prayer boxes on their arms and foreheads with Scriptures inside, and wear extra-long tassels on their outer garments. They crave the seats of highest honor at banquets and in their meeting places. And how they love to be admired by men with their titles The religious scholars of respect, aspiring to be recognized in public and have others call them ‘Reverend’(Rabbi or Teacher).’” (TPT)
Jesus was the perfect balance of holiness, compassion, and kindness. He loved the people and showed them the heart of God while treating them with justice and mercy. He was angry with the Pharisees and Sadducees for misusing God for their purposes and advancement. They misled the people, added traditions to the scriptures, and lacked love.
Pharisees and Sadducees Today
You are mistaken if you don’t think Pharisees and Sadducees exist today. The spirit that ran them over 2000 years ago still runs people today. I remember when I was in elementary school, with a couple of kids that had some rules I had never heard of: The girl had to wear a skirt or dress – no pants allowed, and her hair was down to her waist, she wasn’t allowed to dance, or watch movies. I knew a boy who read a lot. One of my classmates told me it was because he wasn’t allowed to watch TV because of his religion. Some churches do not allow alcohol consumption in any amount. Yet the first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine. It doesn’t mean you should get drunk, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have a glass of wine with dinner. Wine is talked about all through the Bible! If you have any addiction issues, you should NOT consume it, but I think you get my point. This is the Pharisees in modern times.
Today’s Sadducees generally reject much of the scriptures and only choose those that apply to their personal beliefs. Scriptures are often used to make their social or political ideologies sound Biblical and are often misquoted or taken out of context. This is an attempt to give them “authority.” They use the scriptures to coerce others into thinking their views are supported by the word of God. Most times, it is used as an attempt to shift a moral compass while ignoring the rest of the scriptures and issues of sin. They push an agenda that says that God loves all the time without judgment. This causes people to wrongly believe God will never punish anyone. While it’s true that God loves us, don’t think he will not judge our nation or us for our moral failings. Jesus came to teach us the heart of God the Father. His love, His forgiveness, His morals, His ways.
Until next time under the palm, be blessed!
