The Leaven Of The Pharisees And Sadducees

Jesus on many occasions showed tolerance and compassion toward ignorant and misguided people. The Gospels indicate that Jesus was moved to compassion in seeing the multitudes afflicted with disease, injustice, pain, hunger, or loneliness. He understood that they were ignorant people and that their suffering was a result of having failed to obey the commandments of God. Yet he still wanted to help them.

Jesus saw the multitudes as sheep without a shepherd that had gone astray and needed a guide. But with the religious leaders he was obviously harshly intolerant. Why?

It was not simply because they were in error, because the majority of the people in his time were so. Was it because they were teachers and knew better? Partly, but Jesus himself said that they were blind guides (Matthew 15:14). Why, then, did he not have more patience with their blindness or lack of understanding?

Rather Christ was intolerant toward the Pharisees and Sadducees because they were people that elevated themselves above everybody. Christ said of them, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.” (Matthew 23:2). The “seat of Moses” is a brief form for the “pulpit, tribune, armchair or bench” of the professor whose function it is to interpret the divine law. They had put themselves as the highest authority for the divine standard among the people of God.

To be sure the Pharisees and Sadducees were very wise and educated in the law of Moses, but had become arrogant. The Pharisees and the Sadducees thought they were better than everybody else. This Christ could not tolerate in a human being. It is true that the Pharisees were correct in many of their beliefs, indeed the beliefs of the Pharisees were some of the more correct, if not the most correct of all the sects. Christ himself said, “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do.” (Matthew 23:3). (read more...)

-Rudy Peña-