The Son of God, who is love, approached the Mount of Olives, and as He approached, He instructed His disciples to get a colt for Him to ride. "When He came near to the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:" "Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory to the highest!" "Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Teacher rebuke your disciples!'"(Lk. 19) Why would anyone make that statement? What was wrong with praising the God of love in a loud voice? Who would be so captious? What motivated them?
The typical Pharisees of Jesus day were the types of some present day antitypes. The loving Savior was soon to weep over being rejected by His own people. These Pharisees were more worried about their rules than they were about the salvation of the souls of men. And they truly have their antitypes today.
Jesus understands both the types and antitypes. He depicted the types in Matthew 23. They were the religious orthodox. In their eyes they were perfectly and precisely religious. Peloubet called them "the separated ones." He goes on to say "they bent their energies to a strict keeping of the law, using political means..." "Their excessive strictness led them to formulate more detailed rules..." "Pharisees...multiplied minute precepts and distinctions to such an extent that the whole life of the Israelite was hemmed in and burdened on every side by instructions so numerous and trifling that the law was almost if not wholly lost sight of." Is it a stretch to say their antitypes of today have done the same with grace and love? Peloubet makes a point well taken by this writer: "...they devoted their energies to making converts to their own narrow views, who with all the zeal of proselytes were more exclusive and more bitterly opposed to truth than they were themselves."
The Pharisee of Luke 18 typifies perfectly the religion of the Pharisee. He must have been one of their champions. He was a praying man. Scripture says though that he "...prayed about himself..." "God I thank you that I am not like all other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector." "I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of my income."(Lk. 18)
Why was he not justified in the eyes of Jesus if all that was correct about him? He violated the first and second commandments of Jesus and the premise of true love found in I Cor. 13. He exalted himself. He was a braggard. He kept records of other men's lives. And love does not do that.
Perhaps the reason these folks did not want Jesus praised outloud was because he had their number. They hated him so much that they ultimately were instrumental in His being crucified. They were right in the middle of giving orders "...that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest Him."(Jn. 11:57)
Yes, Jesus had the number of those types and He has the number of their antitypes today. Their religion is perfect because everybody else is wrong. They are the truly orthodox. They are the knowledgeable. They can quote Scripture with the best of Scripture quoters. But something is missing. What is it? "The Excellent Way." They cannot truly love as God wants them to love. Their spiritual port-folio is missing the qualification of that which will make one a true follower of God.
Every now and then among the Pharisees as in all perfectly imperfect self-righteous movements bright lights emerge and shine. Acts 5 tells us of Gamaliel, a man of fairness and good judgement in his dealings with his fellow men. Nicodemus of John 3 was also a Pharisee, but one who learned of the New Birth from the Master Teacher. And apparently responded to it. Joseph of Arimathaea "a good man."(Lk. 23:50) He was a secret disciple of Christ.(Jn. 19:38) He along with Nicodemus buried Jesus. Paul was a Pharisee.(Acts 23:6; Phil. 3:5) So not all men are held captive by the strangle hold of such antics as were put forth by the Pharisees. Love still lives in some men's lives. Paul, who was a Pharisee , was to give the solution and he called it "The Excellent Way."
It is possible then to fast, tithe, and keep all the rules yet be missing the key ingredient of Christianity...love...
Jesus had the Pharisees figured. And He told them so. Outwardly they looked good. But they were ugly on the inside.(Lk. 11:39) They were greedy.(Lk. 11:39) They were braggards.(Lk. 18) They were judgemental and self-protective of their flawed concept of what was right.(Mt.9:34) They teamed up on those they considered their antagonists.(Jn. 11:47) Their love was spent on money.(Lk. 16:14) They also loved popularity.(Lk. 11:43) They were hypocrites.(Mt. 23:13) They taught folks a religious philosophy that was not good for them.(Mt. 23:15) They were full of wickedness.(Mt. 23:28) They were violent and murderous.(Mt. 23:30-31) They had an unacceptable form of righteousness.(Mt. 5:20) They practiced a dishonest form of worship.(Mt. 15:8) Their seeming right influence was evil.(Mt. 16:5-6)
This was the stripe of people who met Jesus on the road to the Mount of Olives and told Him to quieten his disciples who were vocally and joyfully praising God loudly. Methinks me hears many of their counterparts saying the same things .
Interesting what Jesus said to them. "I tell you..." "...if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."(Lk. 19:40)
Recently, I heard a preacher say, "Ain't no rock gonna take my place."
So we praise Him because He loved us so...and nobody will stop us.
The typical Pharisees of Jesus day were the types of some present day antitypes. The loving Savior was soon to weep over being rejected by His own people. These Pharisees were more worried about their rules than they were about the salvation of the souls of men. And they truly have their antitypes today.
Jesus understands both the types and antitypes. He depicted the types in Matthew 23. They were the religious orthodox. In their eyes they were perfectly and precisely religious. Peloubet called them "the separated ones." He goes on to say "they bent their energies to a strict keeping of the law, using political means..." "Their excessive strictness led them to formulate more detailed rules..." "Pharisees...multiplied minute precepts and distinctions to such an extent that the whole life of the Israelite was hemmed in and burdened on every side by instructions so numerous and trifling that the law was almost if not wholly lost sight of." Is it a stretch to say their antitypes of today have done the same with grace and love? Peloubet makes a point well taken by this writer: "...they devoted their energies to making converts to their own narrow views, who with all the zeal of proselytes were more exclusive and more bitterly opposed to truth than they were themselves."
The Pharisee of Luke 18 typifies perfectly the religion of the Pharisee. He must have been one of their champions. He was a praying man. Scripture says though that he "...prayed about himself..." "God I thank you that I am not like all other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector." "I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of my income."(Lk. 18)
Why was he not justified in the eyes of Jesus if all that was correct about him? He violated the first and second commandments of Jesus and the premise of true love found in I Cor. 13. He exalted himself. He was a braggard. He kept records of other men's lives. And love does not do that.
Perhaps the reason these folks did not want Jesus praised outloud was because he had their number. They hated him so much that they ultimately were instrumental in His being crucified. They were right in the middle of giving orders "...that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest Him."(Jn. 11:57)
Yes, Jesus had the number of those types and He has the number of their antitypes today. Their religion is perfect because everybody else is wrong. They are the truly orthodox. They are the knowledgeable. They can quote Scripture with the best of Scripture quoters. But something is missing. What is it? "The Excellent Way." They cannot truly love as God wants them to love. Their spiritual port-folio is missing the qualification of that which will make one a true follower of God.
Every now and then among the Pharisees as in all perfectly imperfect self-righteous movements bright lights emerge and shine. Acts 5 tells us of Gamaliel, a man of fairness and good judgement in his dealings with his fellow men. Nicodemus of John 3 was also a Pharisee, but one who learned of the New Birth from the Master Teacher. And apparently responded to it. Joseph of Arimathaea "a good man."(Lk. 23:50) He was a secret disciple of Christ.(Jn. 19:38) He along with Nicodemus buried Jesus. Paul was a Pharisee.(Acts 23:6; Phil. 3:5) So not all men are held captive by the strangle hold of such antics as were put forth by the Pharisees. Love still lives in some men's lives. Paul, who was a Pharisee , was to give the solution and he called it "The Excellent Way."
It is possible then to fast, tithe, and keep all the rules yet be missing the key ingredient of Christianity...love...
Jesus had the Pharisees figured. And He told them so. Outwardly they looked good. But they were ugly on the inside.(Lk. 11:39) They were greedy.(Lk. 11:39) They were braggards.(Lk. 18) They were judgemental and self-protective of their flawed concept of what was right.(Mt.9:34) They teamed up on those they considered their antagonists.(Jn. 11:47) Their love was spent on money.(Lk. 16:14) They also loved popularity.(Lk. 11:43) They were hypocrites.(Mt. 23:13) They taught folks a religious philosophy that was not good for them.(Mt. 23:15) They were full of wickedness.(Mt. 23:28) They were violent and murderous.(Mt. 23:30-31) They had an unacceptable form of righteousness.(Mt. 5:20) They practiced a dishonest form of worship.(Mt. 15:8) Their seeming right influence was evil.(Mt. 16:5-6)
This was the stripe of people who met Jesus on the road to the Mount of Olives and told Him to quieten his disciples who were vocally and joyfully praising God loudly. Methinks me hears many of their counterparts saying the same things .
Interesting what Jesus said to them. "I tell you..." "...if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."(Lk. 19:40)
Recently, I heard a preacher say, "Ain't no rock gonna take my place."
So we praise Him because He loved us so...and nobody will stop us.
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