Chapter
67 -
Woes on the Pharisees
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IT was the last day of Christ's teaching in the temple. Of the vast throngs
that were gathered at Jerusalem, the attention of all had been attracted to
Him; the people had crowded the temple courts, watching the contest that had
been in progress, and they eagerly caught every word that fell from His
lips. Never before had such a scene been witnessed. There stood the young
Galilean, bearing no earthly honor or royal badge. Surrounding Him were
priests in their rich apparel, rulers with robes and badges significant of
their exalted station, and scribes with scrolls in their hands, to which
they made frequent reference. Jesus stood calmly before them, with the
dignity of a king. As one invested with the authority of heaven, He looked
unflinchingly upon His adversaries, who had rejected and despised His
teachings, and who thirsted for His life. They had assailed Him in great
numbers, but their schemes to ensnare and condemn Him had been in vain.
Challenge after challenge He had met, presenting the pure, bright truth in
contrast to the darkness and errors of the priests and Pharisees. He had set
before these leaders their real condition, and the retribution sure to
follow persistence in their evil deeds. The warning had been faithfully
given. Yet another work remained for Christ to do. Another purpose was still
to be accomplished.
The interest of the people in Christ and His work had steadily increased.
They were charmed with His teaching, but they were also greatly perplexed.
They had respected the priests and rabbis for their intelligence and
apparent piety. In all religious matters they had ever yielded implicit
obedience to their authority. Yet they now saw these men trying to cast
discredit upon Jesus, a teacher whose virtue and knowledge shone forth the
brighter from every assault. They looked upon the lowering countenances of
the priests and elders, and there saw discomfiture and confusion. They
marveled that the rulers would not believe on Jesus, when His teachings were
so plain and simple. They themselves knew not what course to take. With
eager anxiety they watched the movements of those whose counsel they had
always followed.
In the parables which Christ had spoken, it was His purpose both to warn the
rulers and to instruct the people who were willing to be taught. But there
was need to speak yet more plainly. Through their reverence for tradition
and their blind faith in a corrupt priesthood, the people were enslaved.
These chains Christ must break. The character of the priests, rulers, and
Pharisees must be more fully exposed.
"The scribes and the Pharisees," He said, "sit in Moses' seat: all therefore
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after
their works: for they say, and do not." The scribes and Pharisees claimed to
be invested with divine authority similar to that of Moses. They assumed to
take his place as expounders of the law and judges of the people. As such
they claimed from the people the utmost deference and obedience. Jesus bade
His hearers do that which the rabbis taught according to the law, but not to
follow their example. They themselves did not practice their own teaching.
And they taught much that was contrary to the Scriptures. Jesus said, "They
bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's
shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their
fingers." The Pharisees enjoined a multitude of regulations, having their
foundation in tradition, and unreasonably restricting personal liberty. And
certain portions of the law they so explained as to impose upon the people
observances which they themselves secretly ignored, and from which, when it
served their purpose, they actually claimed exemption.
To make a show of their piety was their constant aim. Nothing was held too
sacred to serve this end. To Moses God had said concerning His commandments,
"Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as
frontlets between thine eyes." Deut. 6:8. These words have a deep meaning.
As the word of God is meditated upon and practiced, the whole man will be
ennobled. In righteous and merciful dealing, the hands will reveal, as a
signet, the principles of God's law. They will be kept clean from bribes,
and from all that is corrupt and deceptive. They will be active in works of
love and compassion. The eyes, directed toward a noble purpose, will be
clear and true. The expressive countenance, the speaking eye, will testify
to the blameless character of him who loves and honors the word of God. But
by the Jews of Christ's day all this was undiscerned. The command given to
Moses was construed into a direction that the precepts of Scripture should
be worn upon the person. They were accordingly written upon strips of
parchment, and bound in a conspicuous manner about the head and wrists. But
this did not cause the law of God to take a firmer hold of the mind and
heart. These parchments were worn merely as badges, to attract attention.
They were thought to give the wearers an air of devotion which would command
the reverence of the people. Jesus struck a blow at this vain pretense:
"But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the
uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and
greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not
ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are
brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for One is your
Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called master: for One is your
Master, even Christ." In such plain words the Saviour revealed the selfish
ambition that was ever reaching for place and power, displaying a mock
humility, while the heart was filled with avarice and envy. When persons
were invited to a feast, the guests were seated according to their rank, and
those who were given the most honorable place received the first attention
and special favors. The Pharisees were ever scheming to secure these honors.
This practice Jesus rebuked.
He also reproved the vanity shown in coveting the title of rabbi, or master.
Such a title, He declared, belonged not to men, but to Christ. Priests,
scribes, and rulers, expounders and administrators of the law, were all
brethren, children of one Father. Jesus impressed upon the people that they
were to give no man a title of honor indicating his control of their
conscience or their faith.
If Christ were on earth today, surrounded by those who bear the title of
"Reverend" or "Right Reverend," would He not repeat His saying, "Neither be
ye called masters: for One is your Master, even Christ"? The Scripture
declares of God, "Holy and reverend is His name." Ps. 111:9. To what human
being is such a title befitting? How little does man reveal of the wisdom
and righteousness it indicates! How many of those who assume this title are
misrepresenting the name and character of God! Alas, how often have worldly
ambition, despotism, and the basest sins been hidden under the broidered
garments of a high and holy office! The Saviour continued:
"But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever
shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall
be exalted." Again and again Christ had taught that true greatness is
measured by moral worth. In the estimation of heaven, greatness of character
consists in living for the welfare of our fellow men, in doing works of love
and mercy. Christ the King of glory was a servant to fallen man.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites," said Jesus; "for ye shut
up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." By perverting the
Scriptures, the priests and lawyers blinded the minds of those who would
otherwise have received a knowledge of Christ's kingdom, and that inward,
divine life which is essential to true holiness.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows'
houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the
greater damnation." The Pharisees had great influence with the people, and
of this they took advantage to serve their own interests. They gained the
confidence of pious widows, and then represented it as a duty for them to
devote their property to religious purposes. Having secured control of their
money, the wily schemers used it for their own benefit. To cover their
dishonesty, they offered long prayers in public, and made a great show of
piety. This hypocrisy Christ declared would bring them the greater
damnation. The same rebuke falls upon many in our day who make a high
profession of piety. Their lives are stained by selfishness and avarice, yet
they throw over it all a garment of seeming purity, and thus for a time
deceive their fellow men. But they cannot deceive God. He reads every
purpose of the heart, and will judge every man according to his deeds.
Christ unsparingly condemned abuses, but He was careful not to lessen
obligation. He rebuked the selfishness that extorted and misapplied the
widow's gifts. At the same time He commended the widow who brought her
offering for God's treasury. Man's abuse of the gift could not turn God's
blessing from the giver.
Jesus was in the court where were the treasure chests, and He watched those
who came to deposit their gifts. Many of the rich brought large sums, which
they presented with great ostentation. Jesus looked upon them sadly, but
made no comment on their liberal offerings. Presently His countenance
lighted as He saw a poor widow approach hesitatingly, as though fearful of
being observed. As the rich and haughty swept by, to deposit their
offerings, she shrank back as if hardly daring to venture farther. And yet
she longed to do something, little though it might be, for the cause she
loved. She looked at the gift in her hand. It was very small in comparison
with the gifts of those around her, yet it was her all.
Watching her opportunity, she hurriedly threw in her two mites, and turned
to hasten away. But in doing this she caught the eye of Jesus, which was
fastened earnestly upon her.
The Saviour called His disciples to Him, and bade them mark the widow's
poverty. Then His words of commendation fell upon her ear: "Of a truth I say
unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all." Tears of
joy filled her eyes as she felt that her act was understood and appreciated.
Many would have advised her to keep her pittance for her own use; given into
the hands of the well-fed priests, it would be lost sight of among the many
costly gifts brought to the treasury. But Jesus understood her motive. She
believed the service of the temple to be of God's appointment, and she was
anxious to do her utmost to sustain it. She did what she could, and her act
was to be a monument to her memory through all time, and her joy in
eternity. Her heart went with her gift; its value was estimated, not by the
worth of the coin, but by the love to God and the interest in His work that
had prompted the deed.
Jesus said of the poor widow, She "hath cast in more than they all." The
rich had bestowed from their abundance, many of them to be seen and honored
by men. Their large donations had deprived them of no comfort, or even
luxury; they had required no sacrifice, and could not be compared in value
with the widow's mite.
It is the motive that gives character to our acts, stamping them with
ignominy or with high moral worth. Not the great things which every eye sees
and every tongue praises does God account most precious. The little duties
cheerfully done, the little gifts which make no show, and which to human
eyes may appear worthless, often stand highest in His sight. A heart of
faith and love is dearer to God than the most costly gift. The poor widow
gave her living to do the little that she did. She deprived herself of food
in order to give those two mites to the cause she loved. And she did it in
faith, believing that her heavenly Father would not overlook her great need.
It was this unselfish spirit and childlike faith that won the Saviour's
commendation.
Among the poor there are many who long to show their gratitude to God for
His grace and truth. They greatly desire to share with their more prosperous
brethren in sustaining His service. These souls should not be repulsed. Let
them lay up their mites in the bank of heaven. If given from a heart filled
with love for God, these seeming trifles become consecrated gifts, priceless
offerings, which God smiles upon and blesses.
When Jesus said of the widow, She "hath cast in more than they all," His
words were true, not only of the motive, but of the results of her gift. The
"two mites which make a farthing" have brought to God's treasury an amount
of money far greater than the contributions of those rich Jews. The
influence of that little gift has been like a stream, small in its
beginning, but widening and deepening as it flowed down through the ages. In
a thousand ways it has contributed to the relief of the poor and the spread
of the gospel. Her example of self-sacrifice has acted and reacted upon
thousands of hearts in every land and in every age. It has appealed to both
the rich and the poor, and their offerings have swelled the value of her
gift. God's blessing upon the widow's mite has made it the source of great
results. So with every gift bestowed and every act performed with a sincere
desire for God's glory. It is linked with the purposes of Omnipotence. Its
results for good no man can measure.
The Saviour continued His denunciations of the scribes and Pharisees: "Woe
unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple,
it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a
debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple
that sanctifieth the gold? and, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is
nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that
sanctifieth the gift?" The priests interpreted God's requirements according
to their own false and narrow standard. They presumed to make nice
distinctions as to the comparative guilt of various sins, passing over some
lightly, and treating others of perhaps less consequence as unpardonable.
For a money consideration they excused persons from their vows. And for
large sums of money they sometimes passed over aggravated crimes. At the
same time these priests and rulers would in other cases pronounce severe
judgment for trivial offenses.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint
and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave
the other undone." In these words Christ again condemns the abuse of sacred
obligation. The obligation itself He does not set aside. The tithing system
was ordained by God, and it had been observed from the earliest times.
Abraham, the father of the faithful, paid tithes of all that he possessed.
The Jewish rulers recognized the obligation of tithing, and this was right;
but they did not leave the people to carry out their own convictions of
duty. Arbitrary rules were laid down for every case. The requirements had
become so complicated that it was impossible for them to be fulfilled. None
knew when their obligations were met. As God gave it, the system was just
and reasonable; but the priests and rabbis had made it a wearisome burden.
All that God commands is of consequence. Christ recognized the payment of
tithes as a duty; but He showed that this could not excuse the neglect of
other duties. The Pharisees were very exact in tithing garden herbs, such as
mint, anise, and rue; this cost them little, and it gave them a reputation
for exactness and sanctity. At the same time their useless restrictions
oppressed the people and destroyed respect for the sacred system of God's
own appointing. They occupied men's minds with trifling distinctions, and
turned their attention from essential truths. The weightier matters of the
law, justice, mercy, and truth, were neglected. "These," Christ said, "ought
ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."
Other laws had been perverted by the rabbis in like manner. In the
directions given through Moses it was forbidden to eat any unclean thing.
The use of swine's flesh, and the flesh of certain other animals, was
prohibited, as likely to fill the blood with impurities, and to shorten
life. But the Pharisees did not leave these restrictions as God had given
them. They went to unwarranted extremes. Among other things the people were
required to strain all the water used, lest it should contain the smallest
insect, which might be classed with the unclean animals. Jesus, contrasting
these trivial exactions with the magnitude of their actual sins, said to the
Pharisees, "Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel."
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto
whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within
full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." As the whited and
beautifully decorated tomb concealed the putrefying remains within, so the
outward holiness of the priests and rulers concealed iniquity. Jesus
continued:
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs
of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous, and say, If we
had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with
them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto
yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets." To
show their esteem for the dead prophets, the Jews were very zealous in
beautifying their tombs; but they did not profit by their teachings, nor
give heed to their reproofs.
In the days of Christ a superstitious regard was cherished for the resting
places of the dead, and vast sums of money were lavished upon their
decoration. In the sight of God this was idolatry. In their undue regard for
the dead, men showed that they did not love God supremely, nor their
neighbor as themselves. The same idolatry is carried to great lengths today.
Many are guilty of neglecting the widow and the fatherless, the sick and the
poor, in order to build expensive monuments for the dead. Time, money, and
labor are freely spent for this purpose, while duties to the living--duties
which Christ has plainly enjoined--are left undone.
The Pharisees built the tombs of the prophets, and adorned their sepulchers,
and said one to another, If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we
would not have united with them in shedding the blood of God's servants. At
the same time they were planning to take the life of His Son. This should be
a lesson to us. It should open our eyes to the power of Satan to deceive the
mind that turns from the light of truth. Many follow in the track of the
Pharisees. They revere those who have died for their faith. They wonder at
the blindness of the Jews in rejecting Christ. Had we lived in His day, they
declare, we would gladly have received His teaching; we would never have
been partakers in the guilt of those who rejected the Saviour. But when
obedience to God requires self-denial and humiliation, these very persons
stifle their convictions, and refuse obedience. Thus they manifest the same
spirit as did the Pharisees whom Christ condemned.
Little did the Jews realize the terrible responsibility involved in
rejecting Christ. From the time when the first innocent blood was shed, when
righteous Abel fell by the hand of Cain, the same history had been repeated,
with increasing guilt. In every age prophets had lifted up their voices
against the sins of kings, rulers, and people, speaking the words which God
gave them, and obeying His will at the peril of their lives. From generation
to generation there had been heaping up a terrible punishment for the
rejecters of light and truth. This the enemies of Christ were now drawing
down upon their own heads. The sin of the priests and rulers was greater
than that of any preceding generation. By their rejection of the Saviour,
they were making themselves responsible for the blood of all the righteous
men slain from Abel to Christ. They were about to fill to overflowing their
cup of iniquity. And soon it was to be poured upon their heads in
retributive justice. Of this, Jesus warned them:
"That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from
the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias,
whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All
these things shall come upon this generation."
The scribes and Pharisees who listened to Jesus knew that His words were
true. They knew how the prophet Zacharias had been slain. While the words of
warning from God were upon his lips, a satanic fury seized the apostate
king, and at his command the prophet was put to death. His blood had
imprinted itself upon the very stones of the temple court, and could not be
erased; it remained to bear testimony against apostate Israel. As long as
the temple should stand, there would be the stain of that righteous blood,
crying to God to be avenged. As Jesus referred to these fearful sins, a
thrill of horror ran through the multitude.
Looking forward, Jesus declared that the impenitence of the Jews and their
intolerance of God's servants would be the same in the future as it had been
in the past:
"Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and
some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in
your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city." Prophets and wise
men, full of faith and the Holy Ghost,--Stephen, James, and many
others,--would be condemned and slain. With hand uplifted to heaven, and a
divine light enshrouding His person, Christ spoke as a judge to those before
Him. His voice, that had so often been heard in gentleness and entreaty, was
now heard in rebuke and condemnation. The listeners shuddered. Never was the
impression made by His words and His look to be effaced.
Christ's indignation was directed against the hypocrisy, the gross sins, by
which men were destroying their own souls, deceiving the people and
dishonoring God. In the specious deceptive reasoning of the priests and
rulers He discerned the working of satanic agencies. Keen and searching had
been His denunciation of sin; but He spoke no words of retaliation. He had a
holy wrath against the prince of darkness; but He manifested no irritated
temper. So the Christian who lives in harmony with God, possessing the sweet
attributes of love and mercy, will feel a righteous indignation against sin;
but he will not be roused by passion to revile those who revile him. Even in
meeting those who are moved by a power from beneath to maintain falsehood,
in Christ he will still preserve calmness and self-possession.
Divine pity marked the countenance of the Son of God as He cast one
lingering look upon the temple and then upon His hearers. In a voice choked
by deep anguish of heart and bitter tears He exclaimed, "O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent
unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" This is the
separation struggle. In the lamentation of Christ the very heart of God is
pouring itself forth. It is the mysterious farewell of the long-suffering
love of the Deity.
Pharisees and Sadducees were alike silenced. Jesus summoned His disciples,
and prepared to leave the temple, not as one defeated and forced from the
presence of his adversaries, but as one whose work was accomplished. He
retired a victor from the contest.
The gems of truth that fell from Christ's lips on that eventful day were
treasured in many hearts. For them new thoughts started into life, new
aspirations were awakened, and a new history began. After the crucifixion
and resurrection of Christ, these persons came to the front, and fulfilled
their divine commission with a wisdom and zeal corresponding to the
greatness of the work. They bore a message that appealed to the hearts of
men, weakening the old superstitions that had long dwarfed the lives of
thousands. Before their testimony human theories and philosophies became as
idle fables. Mighty were the results flowing from the words of the Saviour
to that wondering, awestruck crowd in the temple at Jerusalem.
But Israel as a nation had divorced herself from God. The natural branches
of the olive tree were broken off. Looking for the last time upon the
interior of the temple, Jesus said with mournful pathos, "Behold, your house
is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me
henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the
Lord." Hitherto He had called the temple His Father's house; but now, as the
Son of God should pass out from those walls, God's presence would be
withdrawn forever from the temple built to His glory. Henceforth its
ceremonies would be meaningless, its services a mockery.
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