JAKE STIMPSON | ETERNAL LIFE | PHARISEES | MOSES | KNOWING GOD | PRAYER | BIBLE STUDY | JOHN 15 | ABIDE
Who was Jesus toughest on while on the earth? Who did he really wail on? The Pharisees! One of the dangers of the Pharisees is that they were so close to being right, and yet so completely wrong. They were admirable in their devotion to the Law, their seriousness toward God, their dedication to righteousness… but they didn’t actually have a relationship with God and that’s why they were so wrong in everything. If we’re not careful, we can be the same, parading around with an air of religiosity but with no real relationship with the living God.
In Matthew 23, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their hard hearts, religious legalism, and downright cruelty. It’s probably his most scathing sermon recorded in the Gospels. At one point, he calls them blind guides who strain out gnats from their meals while swallowing camels. They’ve been so obsessed by all sorts of little things that they’ve missed the important stuff, like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Faithfulness is not just one more thing to add to your To Do list. It’s at the basis of everything in the Kingdom of God.
The Bible tells us about a group of Jews who loved God and were devoted to His Word. They were concerned about the increasing worldliness around them. They refused to compromise on the truth and were committed to holy living. And yet, when Jesus came, they were the most antagonistic toward Him, to the point of even making plans to murder Him. These were the Pharisees. What happened to cause these God-fearing people to turn against Jesus? Their hearts had grown hard. If it happened to them, it could happen to us too. We must remain on guard to keep our hearts soft.