Jesus Disses the Pharisees
It seems to be no doubt that the New Testament makes it plain that Jesus and the Pharisees did not get along too well. The Pharisees were mired in their traditions, as Jesus states in Mark 7:6-13. In Luke 20:46 he criticizes the scribes “who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts…” (In those days, many scribes were also Pharisees so it wouldn’t have been unusual to find Pharisees among the scribes.) In the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9–14, Jesus makes the point that “[E]veryone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” There seems little doubt that based on Passages referred to before, that Jesus was also talking about the consequences to the Pharisees who exalt themselves.
Given all this, it may not be hard to understand why Jesus may not have worshipped in a Jewish place of worship which more than likely would be attended by Pharisees. One may envision the personality conflicts that emerge if the two were in the same place. The Pharisees were embedded in tradition, and Jesus arrived to save the world based on the worship of God and based on God Himself, not on any manmade and derived forms of tradition.
One may imagine that Jesus would have felt that if he went into a Jewish house of worship, with the Pharisees in attendance, he would only be disrupting the services and leave people wondering what is going on as they worship God in the earthly manner they were taught; it is unlikely they would listen to what Jesus says in that situation, and the Pharisees would make sure of that in their own way.
And so, when Jesus preached it wasn’t in a Jewish house of worship; it was outdoors and, in the case of his disciples, it was in a private dwelling. And wasn’t Jesus further dissing the Pharisees when he says in Matthew 6:5–6, “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”?
It seems to be no doubt that the New Testament makes it plain that Jesus and the Pharisees did not get along too well. The Pharisees were mired in their traditions, as Jesus states in Mark 7:6-13. In Luke 20:46 he criticizes the scribes “who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts…” (In those days, many scribes were also Pharisees so it wouldn’t have been unusual to find Pharisees among the scribes.) In the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9–14, Jesus makes the point that “[E]veryone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” There seems little doubt that based on Passages referred to before, that Jesus was also talking about the consequences to the Pharisees who exalt themselves.
Given all this, it may not be hard to understand why Jesus may not have worshipped in a Jewish place of worship which more than likely would be attended by Pharisees. One may envision the personality conflicts that emerge if the two were in the same place. The Pharisees were embedded in tradition, and Jesus arrived to save the world based on the worship of God and based on God Himself, not on any manmade and derived forms of tradition.
One may imagine that Jesus would have felt that if he went into a Jewish house of worship, with the Pharisees in attendance, he would only be disrupting the services and leave people wondering what is going on as they worship God in the earthly manner they were taught; it is unlikely they would listen to what Jesus says in that situation, and the Pharisees would make sure of that in their own way.
And so, when Jesus preached it wasn’t in a Jewish house of worship; it was outdoors and, in the case of his disciples, it was in a private dwelling. And wasn’t Jesus further dissing the Pharisees when he says in Matthew 6:5–6, “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”?
