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The Pharisees, one of the many religious groups that made up Judaism in Jesus’ day, were a well-respected lay renewal movement that had begun about 150 b.c.
As successors of the pious Jews who actively resisted paganism during the Greek occupation of Palestine in the fourth century b.c., the Pharisees sought to preserve Jewish identity by rigorously following practices that distinguished Jews from foreign peoples—practices such as circumcision, dietary laws, and purity rituals. In fact, the name “Pharisee” was derived from the Hebrew word perusim, meaning “the separated ones.”
The motive behind the Pharisees’ strict observance of Jewish rituals was very commendable. However, as time went on, they tried to make the whole Jewish populace observe practices that only the priests were required to keep. Moreover, Pharisees shunned contact with those Jews who didn’t fulfill the priestly requirements, lest they contract ritual impurity from them. This, in fact, is one of the reasons why the Pharisees were scandalized when Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:10-11). Their stringent application exceeded the tenets of the Law of Moses and inclined the Pharisees toward a concern for outward appearances. Jesus had great respect for the Law and for safeguarding Jewish tradition (5:17), but he rejected the legalistic strictures of the Pharisees that laid heavy burdens on people while overlooking justice, mercy, and fidelity (23:4).
If our hearts aren’t firmly fixed on the Lord, we can fall into the same trap as the Pharisees. How easy it is to criticize those who don’t live up to our standards or our definition of holiness! Or perhaps we zealously put our favorite religious practices ahead of the very truths that these practices are meant to uphold. While we speak pious words honoring the Lord with our lips, our hearts might actually be far from him (Mark 7:6). Let’s be careful that we don’t cling so tightly to our human traditions that we end up disregarding the commandments of God (7:8).
Jesus wants us to focus on the essentials of love for God and neighbor, and not get sidetracked. Remember: Holiness is not a matter of external observances but of the inner heart (Matthew 23:27-28).
“Lord Jesus, don’t let me get caught up in outward observances. Help me to keep my heart set on you.”
1 Kings 8:22-23,27-30; Psalm 84:3-5,10-11
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