Pharisaism Exposed
The Story - "In interwoven Gospel" • Sermon • Submitted
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· 62 viewsDon't talk the word only; Live the Word of God
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Who are the Pharisee’s?
Who are the Pharisee’s?
So what does the name Pharisee mean? It comes from a word that means “to separate”.
They would separate themselves from Gentiles and who they considered unclean Jews who do not practice the Law, and from sinners.
1 Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. 2 Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Now the denunciation of the Pharisee’s in chapter 23 and other places is very broad and not all inclusive for there were about 6000 of them at the time, with many other followers who were their disciples but not full members of the Pharisee group.
Most of them were sincere in their quest for truth and holiness, and true spiritual religion like
Nicodemus (Jn3; 7:50-53)
Joseph of Arimathea (Jn19:38f)
Unnamed man (Mk12:32-34)
But in the most part the Pharisees used their “religion” to promote themselves and their material gain.
Today we are looking at the introduction to the 7 woes, Jesus is addressing the crowd in his last public sermon. Don’t look at just the negative, the denunciation in this chapter, look at the flip side of what the crowd, the people are told to do.
Open Story Book to (pgs. 123-124) and Bible to Mt23:1-12
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
What you see here is that the Pharisee’s had some false concepts, or mis-conceptions
of Righteousness (vv.2-3)
of Ministry (v.4)
of Greatness (vv.5-12)
But before we get to that, first we need to look at (v.1)
Who is Jesus speaking to (v.1)?
False Concept of Righteousness
False Concept of Righteousness
2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
There are some key points in these verses, can you pick them out?
They seated themselves - there is nowhere in the Bible that speaks of a job of Pharisee as appointed by God and given authority by God. their only authority is the Word of God - Where were they seating themselves? In the seat (chair) of Moses, who was the recipient and keeper of the law and so were the generations to follow him.
Do what they tell you - if they are speaking the word of Moses, speaking the law, do that, those are God’s commands.
Don’t do what they do for they do not do what they say to do - they are hypocrites (players, performers, who do not do what they say) they are acting righteous but not being righteous .
To the Pharisee’s here they believed righteousness is conformity to the Law, but you will see later that they missed the big picture the condition of the heart.
God’s people need people to help interpret the Word of God accurately and to challenge them to apply it in their lives daily.
As mentioned they have misconception, or false conception of righteousness since they are not keeping what they are saying.
The first factor of false spiritual leadership: Is they lack God given spiritual authority.
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Jesus is the one who has all authority; Jesus is the one who is head over the God’s people
18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
If we are honest with one another we know that we learn better by following examples set before us than just reading or hearing don’t we? - The Pharisee’s were speaking the right things (for most part) but not doing them.
The misconception of righteousness was they thought it was in their words, not in their actions.
II. False concept of Ministry
II. False concept of Ministry
4 “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
In looking at this verse there are two things stated, what are they?
They tie up heavy burden’s
Unwilling to move to help
It is interesting fact that the burdens are normally carried on the shoulders for they are strong, can carry the load while the fingers are weaker and cannot carry the load. The Pharisee’s were laying burdens on the people but unwilling to lift a finger to help them with the burdens. - the burdens of obedience which were impossible to keep is what they demanded of the people. - their ministry was one of works, demands, obedience, they were unwilling to lighten burdens where Christ’s ministry was just the opposite
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
1 Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
God’s Word was to help man know how to worship, how to please God but they were hypocrites in not putting forth any effort to help man in doing such. They were about status seeking, about pride.
The second factor of false spiritual leadership: They lack integrity; and another factor they lack sympathy
III. False conception of greatness
III. False conception of greatness
Greatness to them was being known, seen, recognized by praises of men.
5 “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.
How do they do it to be recognized by men?
Broaden phylacteries
Lengthen tassels
Take seats of honor (banquets, synagogues)
respectful greetings
While they lacked compassion in not lifting a finger to relieve burdens they were also insecure needed the praises of men to prove their spirituality
Here we have another factor: They lack humility
They put recognition before their God.
37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.
37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment.
Mt22
He had told them previously what is the greatest and foremost.
16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Mt5:16
Deeds, position, need to shine the light of good works and glorify the Father in heaven.
They thought position and possessions were marks of greatness and favor with God, Jesus ministry and thoughts were contrary to that
22 When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
Lk18
10 “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.
Jesus was teaching it is not about possession or position but about being a humble servant.
30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.
John was a great example of this.
Jesus was a great example
12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
Jn
12 So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
16 “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
Albert Einstein “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”
Then comes the issues of greetings or titles.
8 “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
There are 3 contrasts in (vv.8-10) what are they?
Don’t call Rabbi, only one teacher
Don’t call father, only one Father
Don’t be called leaders, only One leader
Now don’t get this wrong, titles have a place when they are used properly.
Doctor is a doctor, but that is not who he is, it is what he is. A teacher is a teacher but that is not who he is, etc. But titles used as honorific is contrary to what Jesus is teaching.
Rabbi means “great one” - this would be someone who is considered a great teacher, so it would be very gratifying for the Pharisee to be called Rabbi. As Christians we are to seek titles or to be referred to as titles for we are all the same, brothers in Christ. = There is only one who is the teacher and that one is the Lord. The one who is the giver of he Law and the giver of the law of love.
Father: We are not to refer to anyone as father, spiritually things. Hey your biological father is that, your earthly father, but you only have one o those and you only have one Heavenly Father, This is clear from the Lord that it is wrong to call someone father. Paul does refer to himself as a spiritual father in two places in scripture, but it is not for honor
15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
1Cor
He taught them the gospel and was a spiritual father who pointed them and leads them to the Father in heaven through Christ Jesus.
22 But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
the second one was a metaphorical father
The Pharisee’s wanted it due to pride, they wanted honor where the honor should be given to God.
The last title mentioned is leader, in some versions it says teacher, though different word than in (v.8); this is the word master and this is the only place in the N.T. this particular word is used. - the definition is one who goes before and guides; or one who has the authority. Only Jesus has the authority (remember Mt28:18) And he is the head of the church (meaning has authority) as mentioned before from (Col1:18).
True spiritual leadership in the church does not try or even imply any authority upon themselves but as servants of the One who has all authority Jesus Christ and will lead people to a closer fellowship, relationship with Him and to follow Him and not the leader.
True greatness is found in serving others not in forcing others to serve us as we have previously looked at John the Baptist (Jn3:30) and Jesus Himself (Jn13:12-17). True greatness is not manufactured, it only comes from God for example
“He must increase, but I must decrease.
“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
When we humble ourselves God will exalt us in due time
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
The humble servant are promised other blessings, rewards too
6 Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; 7 For it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,” Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.
4 The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches, honor and life.
33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
Look at M
compare to Mt20:26-28
Riches, honor and life are found in humility
Remember what it says in (v.12)
12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
Everyone will either experience voluntary humility or involuntary humiliation in eternity. While this section shows some denunciation of the Pharisee’s it also gives instructions to the lay people in Jesus last sermon. There is no other alternative.
(sum it up)
Do what the word of God says with humility
Don’t look to puff and build yourself up; build the Lord up
Humility or humiliation, your choice
Follow Jesus example and all will be well