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Waiting for the Messiah... the Pharisees


The best-known sect of first century Judaism today are the Pharisees. We see them frequently throughout the Gospels as they question and oppose Jesus seemingly everywhere he goes. I think we often get the impression that the Pharisees represent the entirety of first century Jewish thought and theology, but in truth they only comprised roughly 10% of the Jewish world.

The Pharisees were purists above all else. They believed in a strict devotion to the Law of Moses and that all Jews should obey it to the letter. They despised what they saw as the current corruption of the Temple and the priesthood, emphasizing personal obedience to the Law above meeting the requirements of the Temple. They were looking for a Messiah who would cleanse the Temple, restore the authority of the Law of Moses, and bring about a golden age of Judah.
           
This purity of devotion to the Law was why the Pharisees were so against Gentiles and “sinners.” It is also why it is the Pharisees more than anyone who harassed Jesus with questions about the Law and hounded him for, in their opinion, not following it. People were claiming that this Jesus was the Messiah, but to them this was impossible. How could Jesus be the Messiah, when he healed on the Sabbath and ate with sinners? That was breaking the Law!
           
The Pharisees were right in their expectation and desire to see more obedience to what God had said. However, they missed the point of obedience. God doesn’t want people to obey for the sake of obeying, but out of love for God and others. Jesus indeed called for obedience, but it was an obedience grounded in love and mercy.
           
Today we still are tempted to follow the path of the Pharisees. We look for rules to follow and try to define who is “pure” and who isn’t. We want Jesus to be the Judge but not the Shepherd who chases down the one lost sheep no matter the cost. Jesus calls us to be obedient to God, but he also calls us to be light and love to everyone.

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