It is proper and pertinent to
draw attention to the phrase, “but I say to you”. The Messiah chose His words with
great care, because He was formally announcing what was opposite to the
teaching of the Tanaim and therefore unacceptable to the Pharisees. The oral law, identified in the Bible as “the
tradition of the elders”, relied on precepts handed on from one generation to
another. For example the Mishnah records
the words of R. Joshua: “I have a tradition from Rabban Yohanan b. Zakkai, who
heard it from his master, and his master from his master, as a law revealed to
Moses at Sinai”.[1] But in the
case of Jesus He was standing on His own authority as Messiah. Furthermore, in His office as Messiah He was
declaring that He had the authority to interpret the law. There is also, in this phrasing, that element
which implied deity, for the sub-text is that He was the giver of the law and
therefore needed none other beside Himself to interpret it.
The sermon began with consideration of the inner
life. The blessed are the poor in
spirit, the ones that mourn, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart and
those that hunger and thirst after righteousness. Chapter 6 of Matthew’s gospel returns to the theme
of the inner life. For example, the
matter of giving alms: “When you give to the poor, do not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”[2] Then the matter of praying: “When you pray,
go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father … in the secret place”.[3] Then
the Messiah turns to the subject of fasting: “When you fast, anoint your head
and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your
Father who is in the secret place”.[4]
These were declared in sharp contrast to the
hypocritical righteousness of the Pharisees that emphasised outward
observances, hence the warnings. In respect
of alms-giving: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be
noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in
heaven. So … do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the
synagogues and in the streets, so that
they may be honoured by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in
full.”[5] And regarding praying: “When you pray, you
are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the
synagogues and on the street corners so that
they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in
full.”[6] And then in respect of fasting: “Whenever you
fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when
they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”[7] The actions of the hypocrites were, according
to the Messiah, designed only to impress others.
Who are the hypocrites Jesus had in mind? At this time, He identified, by implication,
the Scribes and Pharisees, those guardians of the oral law, but after His
official rejection, He named and shamed them: “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah
prophesy about you, saying: “These
people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honour Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me”“.[8] Then
the seven times repeated, “woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”[9] There
the Lord described them as fools and blind guides. On occasion, He coupled the Pharisees with
the Sadducees;[10] and
sometimes with the Herodians,[11]
indicating that they too were hypocrites
In the same discourse, Jesus taught that
Pharisaic righteousness had a wide gate.[12] As has already been mentioned, they taught
that all Israelites have a share in the world to come.[13] Yet, even they would exclude some. “And these are the ones who have no portion
in the world to come: He who says, the resurrection of the dead is a teaching
which does not derive from the Torah, (2) and the Torah does not come from
Heaven; and (3) an Epicurean.”[14] This section effectively excluded the
Sadducees. A later inclusion seems
directed at Jesus, “and those who whisper over a wound and say, ‘I will put
none of the diseases upon you which I have put on the Egyptians, for I am the
Lord who heals you’ (Ex. 15:26)”.[15] Notwithstanding
the exceptions, Pharisaic doctrine pronounced almost all Jews ‘safe’, it had a
gate wide enough to take almost every Jew ever born.
Jesus further taught that Pharisaism was a broad
road – only outward conformity was required.
However, it was a way of works, done publicly, which would only bring
the praise of men.[16]
It was a way that seemed right but led to destruction.[17]
The man that followed the way of the Pharisees would have built his house on
sand, a foundation that could not hold it. Paul, the great expositor expressed
it thus: “they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God”.[18]
The Pharisees were also guilty of
judging, finding specks in the eyes of others, when they had planks in their
own eyes.[19] The condemnation pronounced by the Messiah was
absolute. They claimed to speak for God but were, in fact, false prophets. They claimed to be the shepherds of Israel
More Next Time
[1] Eduyyot 8.7 A (Mishnah)
[2] Matt.6.3,4
[3] Matt.6.6
[4]
Matt.6.16
[5] Matt.6.2
[6] Matt.6.5
[7]
Matt.6.16
[8]
Matt.15.1,7,8
[9]
Matt.23.13,14,15,23,25,27,29
[10]
Matt.16.3
[11]
Matt.22.18
[12]
Matt.7.13
[13] Sanhedrin 10.1.A (Mishnah)
[15] Sanhedrin 10.1.F (Mishnah)
[16]
Matt.6.2,5,16
[17]
Matt.7.13
[18]
Rom.10.3
[19]
Matt.7.1ff
[20]
Matt.7.15ff
[21]
Matt.7.17
[22]
Matt.7.23
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