Words Intended to Break Bones

     During the less than civil discourse going on in Washington these days, several descriptive words have surfaced and are being used with malice against a growing and determined segment of congress.

Anarchist – One who rebels against authority, established order, or ruling power that is in opposition to his belief system.  One who uses violent means to overthrow the established order.

Arsonist – One who maliciously or fraudulently burns property.

Extremist – One who advocates extreme political measures or radicalism intended to make extreme changes in existing views or institutions.

Terrorist – One who performs acts of extreme violence to incite intense fear as a means of coercion.

Extortionist – One who obtains by force, deceitful stratagem, intimidation, undue or illegal power.  (from the base, torture)

Alarmist – One who strikes with fear, or the unwarranted exciting of fears or warning of danger.

Hostage Taker – One who holds another against their will, as a prisoner in a conflict and pledges that promises will be kept or terms met by the other party.  A hostage is one involuntarily controlled.  The term ransom represents the consideration paid or demanded for the redemption of a captured person.

     Therefore, according to contemporary political rhetoric, anarchist + arsonist + extremist + terrorist + extortionist + alarmist + hostage taker = Tea Party Member.

     There is little question that the 'Tea Party' is hated by those on the other side of the political aisle.

     One of the primary reasons for the hatred is that the Tea Party believes in smaller government, i.e. less government intervention in personal affairs which in turn would require less tax revenue to support. 

     When a country’s spending exceeds revenues collected deficit spending occurs.  In turn deficit spending requires borrowing from other nations.  According to the Bible, part of the curse for disobeying God’s laws is to be degraded to a borrowing nation.

     It is not surprising that one name not as yet attributed to the Tea Party is 'publican'.  In Jesus' day the publican was a tax collector for the Roman government. 

     It is not surprising that publicans were hated and called extortionists because they could collect over and above that which was needed to fund the Roman government.  The publican could then keep for themselves that which they could extort from Jewish subjects above that required by Rome.

     Recall that the role of government illustrated in the Bible was solely for the purposes of maintaining law and order and citizen protection by funding a military force.  For those limited purposes taxes were rightfully accessed and collected.

     The Bible records the story of one such publican who saw the light and changed his way.

     “Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd...So he ran ahead and climbed up onto a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house’.  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully...Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, 'Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold'.  And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house’...”  Luke 19:2-9

     So Zacchaeus saw the error of his way and repented, i.e. changed his outlook and vowed to do that which was right and acceptable.  He in fact was willing to restore fourfold any money extorted.  Jesus recognized and acknowledged Zacchaeus' changed heart and proclaimed salvation for him and his house.

     Therefore, does logic suggest that former publicans, who previously extorted excess taxes beyond that needed to support the Biblical description of government, after seeing the error of their ways, find favor with God? 

     In other words, are repentant, redeemed, and renewed publicans now called re-publicans?  You decide.

     Remember a must read for all Christians and concerned American citizens: 'The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent' by Erwin W. Lutzer

Contemporary Pharisees

       Modern day Pharisees are alive and active around the globe and still do the same things that Jesus denounced in His day.  Recall that Jesus warned His disciples of the Pharisees and told them to beware of their doctrines and teachings.  The Greek base for ‘beware’ means more than just to take heed or be on guard, but it also means ‘not to do’ as they do.

     The same warning is in effect today.  No nation is presently exempt from the doctrine of the Pharisees.  Following are some doctrines the Pharisees espoused which Jesus adamantly denounced.

     The Pharisees of today are also self-righteous and still believe that salvation is based on personal effort and heritage.  As such they reject grace based on the vicarious death of Jesus on the cross.  Pharisees have never realized that the law, which no man could obey, was fulfilled by Christ.

     The Pharisees added countless rules to the law of God which they claimed carried the same weight as the Law of Moses.  Such additional rules were labeled ‘traditions of the elders’.  The Pharisees insisted that others follow such traditions while they exempted themselves from doing so. 

     Because such rules often superseded the God-given law, Jesus said that such laws ‘made the Law of God of no effect’. 

     Such contemporary ‘laws’ often protect the ‘rights’ of those who reject Christ and all He represents.  A common example would be the legal right to kill children while they are being protected and perfected in their mother’s womb.

     Pharisees of today are hypocritical, proud, and pretentious and are more interested in outward appearances than inward humility.  Efforts to please men are more important to them than pleasing God.  Current day Pharisees make decisions and draft legislation based on polls.  They are the epitome of political correctness. 

     They will often publicly voice their change of positions of significant issues based solely on appeasing the electorate.

     They will take credit for acts over which they have little or no control.  Their speech is recognized by the excessive use of the personal pronoun ‘I’.

     Pharisees did and do make phony oaths to impress others but which they often have no intention or power of keeping.  Such oaths provide the opportunity to avoid telling the truth. 

     Pharisees did and do base their security on their ancestry claiming that being the offspring of Abraham is sufficient to find favor with God.  The Bible, however, refutes such claim numerous times.

     “…nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called’…”  Romans 9:7

     Pharisees did and do deny the deity of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible is very clear on this issue.  Such deniers are consigned to everlasting destruction.

     Historical Pharisees were engaged in the redistribution of wealth for their own selfish purposes as evidenced by their ‘devouring widow’s houses’.  Similarly redistribution is one of the keystone fiscal policies of this administration’s current progressive agenda.

     Contemporary Pharisees continue to promote unbiblical doctrines.  The consequence of such practice is their denial into the kingdom of heaven.  But even more serious their deceiving doctrines prevent others from entering.

     Jesus did not mince words on this matter.

     “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in…Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”  Matthew 23:13-15

     Therefore, one need only to look around and examine what is happening in this nation and the world today and compare to the immutable Biblical teachings to see how close or distant we are to God’s standard of righteousness and justice.  The presence of pharisaic doctrines is irrefutable.

     And recall the goal of the zealous Pharisee Saul and many around the world of like mind.

     “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church...”  Acts 8:3a

     To accept any of the doctrines of modern day Pharisees is to reject Biblical teachings.

    

Jesus' Denunciation of the Pharisees

Prior to Jesus denouncing the Pharisees for their misguided ideology and theology, He clearly declared to the multitude that the Pharisees had totally missed the mark relative to the meaning of righteousness.

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20

Jesus later admonished His disciples to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees.

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Luke 12:1b

Then Jesus gave very specific examples of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and summarily denounced them.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.” Matthew 23:14

The Pharisees took advantage of widows by telling them they would serve God better by giving their inheritance from their husbands to the temple service.

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say. 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it'. Fools, and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold!” Matthew 23:16-17

The gold was tangible and measurable while no man could be held accountable for the temple and therefore the oath was not binding. This tactic of the Pharisees provided the opportunity to make oaths or promises that they had no intention of honoring.

Jesus had admonished His followers not to make oaths at all.

“But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No'. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:34-37

Jesus then denounced the Pharisees for misguided priorities.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” Matthew 23:23-24

The Pharisees focused on the visible and minor aspects of the law. They did well to do those things, but they should not have avoided the major less visible spirit of the law.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish...”
Matthew 23:25-26

The Pharisees were again concerned with what was visible so as to be considered religious. Their real motives and thoughts were hidden. They were pretentious.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly...Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28

Then Jesus really condemned the Pharisees for being as lawless as those who killed the prophets sent to Israel before them.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets'.” Matthew 23:29-30

“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.” Matthew 23:31

But perhaps the greatest condemnation of the Pharisees was that their message was preventing others from learning the truth.

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” Matthew 23:13

Note: A must read for all who love their children and grandchildren. 'The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent'. Erwin W. Lutzer

The Pharisees' Ultimate Sin

The Pharisees were the epitome of pride and self righteousness; however, their ultimate sin was willfully rejecting the deity of Jesus and attributing to Satan His power to perform miracles.

After Jesus explained His deity to the Pharisees, they attempted to stone Him for blasphemy.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM’. Then they took up stones to throw at Him…” John 8:56-59

The Pharisees' rejection of Jesus' claim to deity was shared by other members of the Sanhedrin including the high priest.

Other incidents of rejection of Jesus’ claim to deity include:

“'I and My Father are one'.” Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.” John 10:30-31

“Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He…said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.” John 5:17-18

The Pharisees and their Jewish followers initially claimed they were just obeying that part of the Mosaic Law that dealt with blasphemy.

“And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him...When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death.” Leviticus 24:16

The more miracles that Jesus performed, the more the Pharisees hated Him and were afraid for their own standing among the people.

“Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw...And all he multitudes were amazed...” Matthew 12:22-23

The Pharisees were running out of contrived reasons for Jesus’ miracles and hit rock bottom.

“Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, ‘This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons’.” Matthew 12:24

Jesus calmly and quickly placed the argument squarely on the Pharisees’ shoulders.

“But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand’?” Matthew 12:25-26

The Pharisees could not respond to the truth of Jesus’ reasoning. Then Jesus confronted the Pharisees with the sin of sins.

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” Matthew 12:31-32

The sin of the Pharisees was that they had witnessed first hand the power of the Holy Spirit manifested in Christ and demonstrated by His miracles, but they rejected the truth. They didn’t reject the truth in ignorance, but rather with conscious choice, thereby committing the ultimate sin.

The major goal of the Pharisees was to get rid of Jesus. It appeared that after every miracle the Pharisees were of one mind.

“Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.” Matthew 12:14

Just prior to Jesus being sent to Pilate for interrogation, Jesus was interrogated by the high priest.

“…Again the high priest asked Him (Jesus), saying to Him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed’? Jesus said, ‘I am’…Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy’…And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.” Mark 14:61-64

The irony, of course, was that the Pharisees and high priest were committing the same sin that they were accusing Jesus of committing.

The reason that the Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus was not only because of alleged blasphemy, but rather for their own self preservation. They could see their power base falter.

“Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived (knew) that He was speaking of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.” Matthew 21:45-46