Hear reference to the Pharisees in church and it is almost certainly a negative statement. We associate them with hypocrisy and the death of the Messiah, and consider them even worse than the gentiles. However, it might be wrong to overlook the sheer amount of time that Christ interacted with the Pharisees and the logical conclusions of his condemnation of their particularities. For one, the sheer amount of Gospel space designates the amount of time that Christ must have interacted with this Jewish group. Mind you, we are reading from the perspective of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Would it not be safe to say that their memory of Christ primarily involved conversation with and life among the Pharisees? Second we cannot say that the Pharisees are the arch-enemy. Luke notes in chapter 13 that at one point the Pharisees even warned Christ of Herod's intent to kill for the sake of saving Christ's life. Lancaster notes in his book
King of the Jews:
The Pharisees themselves were never far from Yeshua theologically or geographically. He was often a dinner guest in their homes, and they were often critics of His ministry. At times, some Pharisees vehemently opposed Him. On other occasions, they cheered Him on while He thwarted the Sadducees or nailed home a point of Torah.
How ironic is it that we so quickly condemn the Pharisees! Isn't that one of their most often critiqued sins - hypocritical condemnation and self-righteousness?
Once again Christ stands transcendent over our faulty distinctions and presuppositions. In our box of guilt by association, Christ is guilty. There must be something wrong with our box.
After all, He told us to obey everthing they say:
| So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. (Matthew 23) |
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