PHARISEES
Pharisee in Hebrew means “separate” or “detach” because this group had separated themselves from the ordinary people in their strict religious observances. They were against the Hellenistic influence of the Jewish religion. Of the Law that God gave through Moses, the Pharisees developed their own interpretations and applications. They gave importance to the traditional rituals that were not in the Mosaic law but were handed down by the elders of previous generations claiming that they were of divine origin.
The Pharisees emerged during the post-exilic times when there was a thirst for maintaining purity of Judaism according to the written laws and oral traditions. Though some Pharisees appreciated the teachings of Jesus and invited him over to dinner (Lk 7:36-50, 14:1), many of them objected to him because he did not strictly follow their man-made rituals and traditions.
PHARISEES AND JESUS
The following are some reasons for the objections of Pharisees against Jesus:
1. Jesus’ teaching was different from that of the Pharisees. He had a distinct view of Sabbath observance and religious rituals. He healed the sick on the Sabbath (Lk 14:1-6) and was not strict with his disciples on Sabbath observances and ritual purifications (Mt 12:1-8).
2. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites and criticized them openly (Mt 23: 13-36). He condemned the Pharisees in public and asked people not to imitate them (Mt 23:1-7).
3. Jesus forgave sins and presented himself as the Son of God. Since the Pharisees rejected the Messiahship of Jesus, they accused him of blasphemy (Lk 5:21).
4. Jesus mingled with the sinners (Mk 2:16), helped the Gentiles (Mt 8:28-34) and visited Samaritan cities (Jn 4:40-42). He even presented a Samaritan as an excellent character in the Good Samaritan story (Lk 10:30-37) and put down the Pharisees in the parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector (Lk 18:9-14).
5. The Pharisees were jealous of Jesus. He was becoming popular because of the humanitarian miracles he worked for the common people. The Pharisees felt they were losing grip on the Jews because of Jesus (Jn 12:19).
PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES
The Pharisees, along with Sadducees, were religious rulers of Jews during the public ministry of Jesus. Both Pharisees and Sadducees were members of the Sanhedrin, the seventy-member supreme court that sentenced Jesus. The Pharisees were also leaders of the synagogues and some of them were priests. Though Sadducees were the majority in the Sanhedrin and held the position of chief priests and high priest, the Pharisees were more influential because they had more popular support and they controlled the synagogues. This was because, unlike Sadducees, the Pharisees did not favor Hellenism and the Roman rule. Sadducees ceased to exist after the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D.; whereas the Pharisees continued even afterwards and became the founding stone for contemporary Rabbinic Judaism.
REFLECTION
The strict observance of the Jewish laws and traditions was a superior quality of the Pharisees. However, they failed in their love and care for the less fortunate in society. Jesus had a human approach than a ritualistic style. Though an elite group, the Pharisees failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. So, they ended up losing their opportunity to welcome the Savior; and they became his persecutors. Let us be charitable and service oriented while keeping up our religious practices.