Pharisees in the Church

THE LORD OF THE SABBATH
Mark 2:23-28 --23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the showbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

It is a beautiful sunny Sabbath day in Capernaum. Jesus and His disciples are out walking. They come upon a field of corn. Being hungry, the disciples pick the ears of corn and begin to eat.
Jesus allows them to do so, though He knew the Pharisees were watching them.
As soon as Jesus had come within speaking range, the Pharisees said, “What are you doing? Don’t you know it is the Sabbath day? Don’t you know it is against the law to pick corn on the Sabbath?
Jesus response to them was, “Don’t’ you know the Scriptures? Don’t you remember when David was hungry and he went to the Temple and demanded the twelve loaves of showbread from the priest Abiathar.
That bread was only cooked once a week and it was to be eaten only by the priest and his family only. Yet Abiathar gave it to David and David and his men ate the bread.
Jesus told another story here to these Pharisees which Mark does not record but Matthew does. He says, the priest in the temple profane the Sabbath every Sabbath. In other words, they work and labor every Sabbath by killing the sacrifices and making the offerings.

The Lord ends with a teaching we need to understand: 27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
The truth Jesus was conveying to the religious Pharisees was that, "He was greater than David, whom the Jews thought was the greatest king of Israel and He was greater than the priest that served in the Temple."
The great truth Jesus was teaching was,: "He is Lord of everything."
Here you must understand that Jesus greatest enemy, outside of Satan was not the sinners but the religious crowd. Friend, learn that your greatest conflicts will come from people that have religion.
Most of them have just enough to bug them, then to bless them.
They know the law, but they lack God's love.
So, here is a good point to look at the Christians' greatest enemy, the religious man or woman.

Three points we will discuss if we get to them.

I - JESUS IS LORD OVER TRADITION 23-24:
23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
THE LAW OF THE PHARISEES
Remember, Jesus was the "friend of sinners." He was compassionate. He was enjoyable to be around. He was love. The religious Pharisees were critical. The Pharisee may agree with 95% of what another person does, but it was just his nature to criticize another for the 5%.
It would be good to spend a little time examining this group of people called Pharisees. They seemed to always fight against Jesus Christ.
There were a few million Jews when Jesus walked on the earth.
In the second century BC, the group known as the Pharisees began.
The very word "Pharisee" means separate.
They prided themselves in strict adherence to the law of Moses.
But, they made one very bad mistake. They also believed in the "Oral Law." They believed laws that had been handed down from generation to generation. Not biblical stores, but man-made laws.
They had many laws and customs that simply were not from God.
When Christ walked among men, there were about 6,000 Pharisees in Israel.
They had many regulations restricting behavior that were not found in the Scriptures. A few of them were...
-They did not allow the lighting of candles on the Sabbath.
-They made it unlawful to throw more grain to their poultry than could be eaten lest some of it might sprout and grow and therefore they would be guilty of sowing on the Sabbath.
-They taught that it was unlawful to swat a fly on the Sabbath.
Jesus received more criticism from these religious leaders about his healing and work on the Sabbath then any other matter.
The Pharisees had infiltrated Judaism and had become their leaders. Sadly, they corrupted the truth.
The Pharisees were mere formalists.
Their focus was exclusively of the outward.
You might recognize a Pharisees by three things:

1 – THEIR CLOTHING: They looked and judged others by comparing their dress to others (Matthew 23:5, (...they made broad their phylacteries).
The clothing of the Pharisees was absorbent. They thought the fancier, the prettier, the more costly one's clothing was, revealed one's spiritual blessings from God. That was the prideful heart of a Pharisee.
Now, folks there is nothing wrong with dressing nice and putting on your Sunday best, but that does make a person spiritual. Some folk's Sunday best is a pair of overalls.
Jesus said to them in Matthew 23:28, "Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."
Their hearts were rotten with pride, but they didn't think they were proud. They could not see their own pride, but the Lord could.
And their worship was the same. It was all outward show. They had no inward joy and love and no spiritual worship. Their joy in life was found in the things they owned rather in the truths of God.
They went to the synagogue and sat and listened to the reading of the Scriptures and endured it but, they never washed their hearts.

2 - THEIR CLEANLINESS:
A second way you could recognize a Pharisee was by their cleanliness. In Matthew 15:2 the Pharisees again were quick to condemn Jesus. They said, “Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.”
A Pharisee would never eat without washing their hands but they never washed their hands. I'll explain that in a minute.
They would never think to go out of their homes without being clean all over.
They thought they were godly because of their outward washings, and fastings, and peculiarities in dress, and ceremonial-worship.
They thought “cleanliness was next to godliness” but their cleanliness was physical and not spiritual.
They would not dare admit that they needed to change.
The very thought to “repent” or "confess their sins" irked them.
The Pharisees were quick to condemn Jesus’ disciples for not washing their hands physically. Thus Jesus used this to teach them a far deeper truth.
Sure, we should wash our hands before we eat, just like we should dress nice before we go to worship God, but it would be far better to wear dirty clothes and eat with dirty hands than to try and worship God with a dirty heart and dirty hands.
How do we have clean hands and a pure heart? In the book of James 4:8, we read, Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
1) The impure heart is explained in Matthew 15:7-9. Jesus said, Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me, But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
The Pharisees were a strange bunch. They were first to say, "I love the Lord. I belong to God. I will give myself to the Lord." But, in their hearts was ugly pride and deceit.
2) The dirty hands are explained in Matthew 5:23-24.
Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
The Pharisees went to the synagogue every Sabbath and gave their form of worship. They gave their tithe. They even fasted twice a week, yet they were not right with their brothers and sisters. Their pride prevented them from apologizing and making things right with others.

III - THEIR COCKINESS
In Luke 18 Jesus reveals the cocky attitude of a Pharisee:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
This man treated people fairly. He cheated nobody. He was faithful to his mate.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Now, folks there is nothing wrong with tithing. That is a good thing. There is nothing wrong with fasting now and then. That is a good thing.
Now, look at the prayer of the publican.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
The publican came to confess his sins. His heart was humbled. His spirit was broken. He cried out for mercy from God.
Notice what Jesus says about the publican.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
It is not the outward clothing or the outward show that makes a man right with God; it is what is in a man's heart.
Are our hearts clean and pure? Do we stand with pride and condemn others because they don't have the standards we think they should have?
Do we hold bitterness, pride or anger in our hearts toward others? If we don't make it right, we will become like a Pharisee.
This great sin of the Pharisees was pride, which produced a judgmental spirit.

The reason the Pharisees were constantly critical and condemning was because their hearts were not right with God.

WOMAN CAUGHT IN ADULTERY
Do you remember when the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery before the Lord in John 8:3-11? They said, "We caught her in the very act." Moses said we should stone her to death, what do you say?"
The records in John 8:6 that ...Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
The Pharisees kept asking him, what do you say, as Jesus wrote. Then Jesus stood up and said in v 7...He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
I have to admire the Pharisees here. At least they realized their hearts had sin. They dropped the stones they were going to cast at the woman and walked away.
The Pharisees were always looking to find fault with others. It made them feel better about themselves. So before you condemn a young girl that may have had a baby out of wedlock or someone who has fallen, look in your heart and ask yourself this question, "Have you ever fallen?"
Now, you can understand why the Pharisees were so upset with Jesus. It was there prideful nature to just condemn.
The first sin, the greatest sin and the one sin God mentions that He hates most in all the world is the sin of Pride.

THE SABBATH
What did the Pharisees condemn Jesus for? They condemned Him and His disciples for picking corn on the Sabbath day.
Let's talk about the Sabbath for a few moments. The word for Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word for seven and the Greek word for Sabbath comes from the word meaning Saturday.
In Genesis 2:2 the Bible reads, “God… rested on the seventh day from all His work…”
For over 2,000 years before the law was given, God set an example for man to take a day of rest. Those who knew God and loved the Lord thought on God every day but one day a week was very special.
It was the day when man did not work at home, in the fields or at a business. This one day man gave his entire self; mind, body, soul and spirit, to think on and serve the Lord.
Some 2500 years later God gave His law to Moses. One of those laws was to keep the Sabbath holy. Man wasn’t to work but give of himself to the Lord.
I lot could be said about the Sabbath, but we are not preaching on the Sabbath but revealing the dangers of traditions of it.
In Exodus 31:16-17 we read these words: 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
The keeping of the Sabbath was a sign between God and Israel. It was the law. We are not Israel. We are the Church.
But, stop and think. Right before the Lord reveals to us that He is the Lord of the Sabbath, the Holy Spirit led Mark to reveal to us in chapter two that things were changing. A new way was about to replace the old way.
1) Religion was about to be replaced with a relationship.
Religion had become stiff, dead and ritualistic. In Mark 2:19, Jesus revealed that our religion was not a religion like unto the Pharisees, cold and dead, but a relationship, like unto a feast, joyful and exciting. Jesus pictured our relationship to Him as a bride about to be married as she awaits her groom. Salvation is like a marriage. It involves a love relationship and a commitment.
Question: How do we live with this joy? The answer is very simple. The answer is found in John 15. Jesus said, If we abide in Him, yea in His word, we would have both love and joy and we would be fruitful.
So, why would a bride not be excited about her wedding day? Why would she not be joyful? A few reasons given in the Bible are:
1) She would not be joyful if she had lost her first love.
2) She would not be joyful if she had been unfaithful.
If we truly look into the Scriptures, long for the second coming and love our Savior and Lord, joy will fill our lives.
But, if we are looking for the things, trinkets and treasures of this world to make us happy, we will be unjoyful saints.
The song writer was correct when he wrote, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
2) The Law was about to be replaced with Love. In Mark 2:21 the religion of law was about to die and the relationship of love was about to take over. The old garment was about to replaced with a new one.
The song says, "Well, the best thing in my life I ever did do was take off the old robe and put on the new." "Well, the old robe was spotted all tattered and torn but the new robe was spotless and never been worn." "Well, the best thing in my life I ever did do was take off the old robe and put on the new."
Our new love relationship is kept fresh not by things we hold in our hand but by things we hold in our heart.
Many people put on their mask on Sunday and go to worship and come home and put it in the closet until they go out again.
True Christianity comes from within. It is revealed not by one's clothing or cleanliness, but by one's love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
3) Rituals were about to be replaced with righteousness.
The long faces and the judgmental looks and the constant condemning words of the Pharisees brought sadness and gloom to the hearts of most people in Israel.
Most of the Jewish people despised Phariseeism and most Gentiles rejected it. Who would want a relationship that was built on condemnation. Christianity is built on love and joy and peace?

Remember in Mark 2:22, Jesus reveals that the Christian life was to be one of great joy. The Church would drink new wine. The wine is the Holy Spirit. The new bottle is the Church.

II - JESUS IS THE LORD OF TRUTH
(Mark 2:25-26) When the Pharisees accused Jesus, He simply quoted the book of Truth. He quoted the Bible. He told them of David, a man after God's own heart who entered the Temple and demanded the showbread from Abiathar the high priest.
The Pharisees had nothing to say. The Word of God is a sharp two-edged sword. We must learn it. We must study it. We must know it, less we become like the Pharisees.
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Learn two very important truths here:
1 - The Sabbath was not made to be worshipped. The Sabbath was made on account of man. What does that mean? It means God knew man needed a day of rest from his labors to revitalize his physical well being. God also knew that man needed a day to revive his spirit. Man needed a day to revitalized his relationship with his creator and his God.
2 - Jesus said, I am the Lord of the Sabbath. I created it. I made it. It is a day for you physically, spiritually but also a day to do good in the name of God.
Phariseeism would not allow one to visit the hospital or nursing home or to make a meal for someone sick and bedridden. Thank God Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.
But, keep this in mind. Don't misuse the one day a week we give to the Lord. Honor the Lord on what the Church worships as the first day of the week.

III - JESUS IS THE LORD OF THE TEMPLE
(Mark 3:1-6) In Mark 3 1-6 Jesus goes into a synagogue. There is a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees set their judgmental eyes on Jesus again. If Jesus heals this man on the Sabbath, they will again find fault with Him. Jesus in his love and compassion does good on the Sabbath day. The Pharisees immediately run and join up with the Herodians and discuss how they might destroy or kill Him.
The application is twofold:
1) It doesn't matter where you are, at Church or out in the fields picking corn, a Pharisee is going to look for a way to condemn you.
2) Jesus is Lord of the Church. If the constitution of a church contradicts the Bible, you throw the constitution out.
If a tradition in the church is not Biblical, don't make a mole hill out of it.
Jesus Christ is to be the Lord of Charity Baptist Church. He should be the one we sing for. He should be the one we preach about. He should be the reason why we come and worship.
Question: Is He your reason for living? Is He your Savior? Do you remember the day, He knocked on your heart and said, "I want to come in and be your Lord and Savior?' Do you remember? Did you surrender to Him? Did you fall in love with Him?
Christian, Is Jesus still sitting on the throne of your heart? Is He ruling your life? Is He Lord of your heart and your home?
Let Jesus be the Lord of all!