Tag Archives: Pharisees

SOME TANDOM THOUGHTS…AUTHORITY – 7a

Christian life, ,

Why is Jesus’ authority so important for us? What does His authority mean to us as His disciples in our daily lives? For a few days, we’ll be digging into this fascinating topic. 

The ongoing conflict between Jesus and His earthly opponents was the issue of authority. His words and works baffled them because, despite what they saw and heard, they refused to accept His claim that He was the Son of God and that His authority came from His Father. To them, this was blasphemy and blasphemy was punishable by death. 

Authority was everything in the Jewish religious system. The religious leaders claimed their authority from Moses except that the laws they tried to enforced came, not from Moses but from their esteemed ancient rabbis who had added protective prohibitions to the Mosaic law contained in the Mishna, a written collection of the Oral Tradition, called the Oral Torah. 

For example…

Jesus and the Pharisees clashed in their interpretation of Sabbath. To the Pharisees, Sabbath was about work, to Jesus…mercy! He claimed authority over the Sabbath, which did not sit well with them.   

“For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In Paleo-Hebrew, the ancient pictographic written language of the Hebrews, the  basic meaning of the name of God, “el” or “Elohim” (plural), was depicted in two pictures, an ox and a staff, signifying “strength and authority”. To the Hebrews, strength and authority summed up who God is and what He does. 

When Jesus claimed authority, by sound what H did, He was claiming to be God. 

In this first section, let’s examine Jesus’ claims. In what way did Jesus’ actions confirm His claim to be the Son of God?

  1. Jesus had authority over nature

He calmed a storm…

“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭39‬-‭41‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He walked on water…

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus taught with authority

“They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus had authority over the demonic realm

“Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus had authority over sickness, disease, and disability

“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus healed a man born blind. 

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth…After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”

‭‭John‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬, ‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus also delegated His authority to heal to His disciples. 

“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus had authority over death

“After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”…When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.””

‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭11‬, ‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus had authority to forgive sin

“Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. The Father has given all authority to Jesus

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The gospel records show us that Jesus had complete authority over the earth during His earthly life and has been given, because of His obedience to the Father in His life and death, supreme authority over everything in heaven and on earth,  in His exaltation. 

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In our next section, we shall examine the implications of Jesus’ authority over His followers. 

To be continued…

MARK’S GOSPEL…DIVORCE – 23

Bible Study, ,

Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭2‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” “What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.””

‭

Divorce! A very current and thorny topic! Divorce is so easy these days that couples can spouses like changing their clothes!

It was almost like this in Jesus’ day, not because God made divorce easy but because “Moses” did, according to the interpretation of the religious leaders. 

There were two mains schools of thought, led by two respected rabbis, Hillel and Shammai. 

Google says…

“Rabbi Hillel permitted divorce for “any cause,” even for trivial reasons such as a husband finding his wife’s cooking unsatisfactory, whereas Rabbi Shammai only allowed divorce for adultery. Hillel’s view was that the term “any cause” in Deuteronomy 24:1 allowed for divorce over any issue the husband disliked, a perspective that became the dominant view in Jewish law (Halakha), though more pious individuals still favored Shammai’s stricter approach.”

The Pharisees tried to draw Jesus into the debate, testing His opinion against those of these two most respected rabbis “with authority”.

Jesus refused to be caught in their trap. As He always did, He referred them back to the source of the instruction…God’s command “at the beginning of creation”. Marriage was a creation ordinance not to be tampered with by foolish humans. 

Jesus not only took them back to the source and initiator of marriage, but He also diagnosed the cause of their deviations!

“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,”

Hardness of heart! How true it was then and equally true now! What was and is missing in many marriage relationships that undermines the meaning and purpose of marriage?

““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did you get that? Justice! Mercy! Faithfulness! Jesus came down hard on the Pharisees for two main reasons. One…they were hypocrites, play acting in the game of life. They wore the mask of “righteousness”, always doing the right thing in public, but rotten to the core with greed and wickedness inside. Two, they had no mercy for offenders who did not do what they demanded. 

So, if the wife “offended” them, they gave her a “bill of divorce” and sent her away without hope, while they calmly married the woman they had set their sights on… a convenient way of handling 

their unfaithfulness. 

Jesus also highlighted the purpose for marriage that most people don’t understand, ignore, or forget. 

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Marriage is not primarily because two people are “in love”, or for companionship, or legalised sex. Marriage is about two people becoming one to reflect on earth the unity “echad” between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the Godhead. Sexual union is the physical symbol of this unity between one man and one woman for life. 

How far, then, has corruption in the human heart degraded marriage in all its perverse practices to what humans have made it today. The only cure for human depravity is to go back to the beginning, as Jesus did, and apply God’s Word, with hearts renewed by God’s grace to faith and obedience. 

It takes God’s grace, His strength for our weakness, to overcome the inborn selfishness of our hearts, to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”, growing in unity as an expression of our love and obedience to Jesus as Lord. 

MARK’S GOSPEL…WORDS A MIRROR – 18

Bible Study,

Mark 7:1-2, 5, 14-15 NIV

[1] The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus [2] and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 

[5] So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”…

[14] Again, Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. [15] Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” 

A profound lesson from Jesus! He pulls the rug from under, not only every false religion but also from every perceived insult and “hurt” that sets off a chain reaction of retaliation and revenge.

False religions set much stire on cleaning the outside but have no answer for polluted hearts. They focus on external behavior, hoping that somehow,  what they do to the outside will filter through to their inside. Jesus said it doesn’t work like that!

Mark 7:17-23 NIV

[17] After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. [18] “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? [19] For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) [20] He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. [21] For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, [22] adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. [23] All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

What is the source of so much violent reaction from individuals, groups, and even nations? Perceived injury, emotional hurts, hypersensitive egos?

Jesus told His disciples the truth…all the wickedness in the world comes from the heart of the perpetrator, not from the words or behaviour of the victim.

Wow! That changes things, doesn’t it! Just imagine…the next time you are maligned or insulted, instead of reacting with anger or plotting to get back at your aggressor, you calmly remember that words are a mirror of the soul. Its the person accusing who is guilty , not the accused.

Jesus’ sober explanation of the source of evil should alert us to at least two realities…those who speak evil are inadvertantly exposing their own hearts and…we had better watch our own words lest we, too, reveal our own wickedness. 

The Bible, in many places, teaches us to guard our words because words are powerful tools for good or evil. For example, the well-known proverb…

Proverbs 18:21 NIV

[21] “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

…and James’ warning…

James 3:2, 6, 8-9 NIV

[2] We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check…

[6] The tongue also, is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell…

[8] …no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. [9] With the tongue, we praise our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.”

…and, likewise, Jesus’ warning to the Pharisees…

Matthew 12:34-37 NIV

[34] “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. [35] A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. [36] But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. [37] For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

What is the solution? James said that no one can tame the tongue. If the tongue is the mirror of the heart, then the solution is to change the heart.

God promised Israel that, in a new dispensation, at the right time, He would do a heart transplant on His people through His Spirit.

Ezekiel 36:24-27 NIV

[24] “ ‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. [25] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. [26] I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

Only by this divine intervention, this divine “surgery”, is it possible to have new hearts that produce the good words of righteousness and truth.

As we arm our minds with truth,  so, our words will reflect what God requires…

Psalms 15:1-3 NIV

[1] “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? [2] The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; [3] whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others…”

So, Paul urges us…

Colossians 4:6 NIV

[6] “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

MARK’S GOSPEL…PICKY IRRITATION -10

Bible Study, ,

Mark 2:15-17 NIV
[15] “While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. [16] When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [17] On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Strange, isn’t it, that the religious leaders just couldn’t leave Jesus alone. Wherever He was, whatever He did, they were there, on His case, picking on Him for daring to challenge not only their authority but also their very philosophy of life.

The difference between the Pharisees and Jesus was simple.They focused on the “don’ts” while Jesus focused on the “do’s”. What do I mean? For the Pharisees, their preoccupation with being “holy” meant that they were careful not to do anything that they believed would displease God.

God’s laws were protected by a multiplicity of additional laws and prohibitions added by the learned rabbis over years of study, and preserved in the Mishnah.

Google explains…

“The Mishnah is a third-century Jewish collection that expands upon the legal material and language of the Old Testament and is considered to be “oral Torah.” Mishnah (the Hebrew term מִשְׁנָה means “study by repetition”) is the foundation of all subsequent Jewish law and praxis, from the Talmuds up to modern-day Jewish literature.”

To the Jewish religious leaders, the Mishnah was as authoritative as the Tanach. They were incensed when Jesus did what they considered to be violations of these additional laws, and they were quick to pick on Him for every infraction.

Jesus had chosen Matthew to be one of His disciples, a despised tax collector who worked for the Roman government. Matthew had arranged a dinner to which he invited Jesus and his circle of friends, outcasts like himself, of course. The Pharisees, nosing around as usual, noticed this event and immediately lodged their objection. “Why does Jesus share a meal with the riff-raff?”

On this occasion, Jesus dared to fellowship with those whom the Pharisees considered to be undesirable people, the outcasts of society, “sinners” in their eyes since these people didn’t care about “the law”.

In Hebrew culture, sharing a meal with people was much more than that. There was significance in eating together. It was a declaration that the participants were at peace with each other, no issues, no animosity.

How could Jesus be at peace with these “sinners” if He was who He claimed to be, the Son of God? In any case, He was a recognised rabbi, and rabbis don’t eat with sinners.

As usual, Jesus declared His intention not to condemn people for their sinfulness but to rescue them from self-destruction and call them into fellowship with Him.

Mark 2:17 NIV
[17] “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus had declared His intention not to do away with God’s law, but to fulfill it in the way that God meant it to be lived, not by being hypocritically holy but by treating all people with kindness and compassion.

Matthew 5:17-18 NLT
[17] “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. [18] I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.”

Since God’s word is eternal, what He intended in His law (instructions), was meant to be understood in the context of His nature and attributes, not according to human opinions and interpretations.

Jesus declared His purpose in His words to Nicodemus…

John 3:17 NLT
[17] “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

Once again, by their picky irritation with Jesus, the Pharisees revealed the nature of their hearts, self-serving and, by contrast, the nature of the heart of Jesus, selflessly serving.

SOME PUZZLES OF SCRIPTURE

Bible Study, ,

What did Jesus write in the dust?

Another intriguing story appears in John 7 and 8.

During the Festival of Shelters, after an altercation with His brothers, Jesus went from Galilee to the festival in Jerusalem but secretly, at first.

‭John 7:14-15, 31-32, 45-48 NLT‬
[14] “Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. [15] The people were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked.

[31]Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?” [32] When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus… “

… but the Temple guards returned empty-handed.

[45]”When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” [46] “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded. [47] “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. [48] “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? [49] This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

The members of the Sanhedrin revealed their contempt for Jesus and His teaching, rejecting His offer of the ‘living water’ He came to provide for His spiritually thirsty people.

The high priest, carrying out the water ritual at the end of the Festival, poured a jar of water onto the ground, water that would do no more than drain away into the soil. In response, Jesus stood up and loudly offered ‘living water’ to those who were thirsty. (John interpreted Jesus’ invitation to refer to the Holy Spirit who would be ‘poured out’ after His death).

The sequel to the story is recorded in John 8. Although this story has been omitted from some early manuscripts, it fits perfectly into the context of John 7.

The Pharisees hated Jesus so much that they set a trap for Him. Knowing His passion to show mercy, they wanted to catch Him out for not upholding the Law.

Probably using one of their own as a volunteer, or perhaps trailing a known ‘sinful woman’ until they could catch her out, they grabbed her in the act of adultery and threw her down in front of Jesus.

The Pharisees had failed to learn not to challenge Jesus. He was too smart for them. They arrogantly demanded a response from Him. “She was caught in the act. The Law says to stone her. What do you say?”

Without a word, Jesus bent down and began to write in the sand. Impatiently, they pressed Him for a response. Eventually, He stood up with a challenge, “Anyone who is innocent can throw the first stone.” Then he bent down and continued writing.

There are many speculations about what He wrote. To me, the most plausible one, that got the exact response He wanted, was like this.

Jesus knew the Scriptures (He authored the Bible)! So did the Pharisees. So, He knew the hearts of these Pharisees and responded exactly according to Jeremiah’s words…

‭Jeremiah 2:13 NIV‬
[13] “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

…and God’s judgment on them.

‭Jeremiah 17:13 NIV‬
[13] “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

What did Jesus write in the dust? He wrote the names of the Pharisees as an act of judgment against them. What did they understand that scared them off? They realised the frightening reality that JESUS KNEW THEIR HEARTS.

David expressed the same sentiment about his enemies and what he would do to them with the Lord’s help.

‭Psalms 18:39-42 NLT‬
[39] “You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet. [40] You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me. [41] They called for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer. [42] I ground them AS FINE AS DUST in the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt.”

The sequel is well known. Jesus could show the woman mercy despite the law because there were no witnesses against her. Instead of judging her, He forgave her and sent her on her way to live a new life.

There may be more in the details of the story that are yet to be discovered, but what we have learned indicates that Jesus was much more than a good man. He was God, clothed in human flesh, and revealing the all-knowing nature of God to those who were willing to examine the evidence. Despite His revelation to these Pharisees, they never did recognise the truth or believe in Him.

Another story reveals Jesus’ supernatural knowledge that startled and transformed a loose woman. When Jesus told the Samaritan woman of her sordid history without knowing her, she was not ashamed but elated. His intimate knowledge of her life, WITHOUT JUDGING HER, drew her like a magnet to everything He had told her, and she was changed.

Faith comes to the one who takes an honest look at the evidence and, on the strength of that, believes!

To be continued…