Part 31 (1/2)
It is probable, in fact, that but for the exasperation caused by sohave remained unnoticed, and have been lost in the dreadful storm which was soon about to overwhelh priesthood and the Sadducees had rather disdained than hated hireat sacerdotal families, the _Boethusim_, the family of Hanan, were only fanatical in their conservatism The Sadducees, like Jesus, rejected the ”traditions” of the Pharisees[1] By a very strange singularity, it was these unbelievers who, denying the resurrection, the oral Law, and the existence of angels, were the true Jews Or rather, as the old Law in its siious wants of the time, those who strictly adhered to it, and rejected arded by the devotees as ielical Protestant of the present day is regarded as an unbeliever in Catholic countries
At all events, froainst Jesus could proceed The official priesthood, with its attention turned toward political power, and intimately connected with it, did not comprehend these enthusiastic movements It was the middle-class Pharisees, the innu on the science of ”traditions,” who took the alarm, and whose prejudices and interests were in reality threatened by the doctrine of the new teacher
[Footnote 1: Jos, _Ant_, XIII x 6, XVIII i 4]
One of the most constant efforts of the Pharisees was to involve Jesus in the discussion of political questions, and to compromise him as connected with the party of Judas the Gaulonite These tactics were clever; for it required all the deep wisdom of Jesus to avoid collision with the Rodouity, and coroup of Pharisees, and of those politicians named ”Herodians” (probably some of the _Boethusim_), approached him, and, under pretense of pious zeal, said unto him, ”Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any ive tribute unto Caesar, or not?” They hoped for an anshich would give the him up to Pilate The reply of Jesus was ade on the coin: ”Render,” said he, ”unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's”[1] Profound words, which have decided the future of Christianity! Words of a perfected spiritualism, and of marvellous justness, which have established the separation between the spiritual and the temporal, and laid the basis of true liberalism and civilization!
[Footnote 1: Matt xxii 15, and following; Mark xii 13, and following; Luke xx 20, and following Coentle and penetrating genius inspired him when alone with his disciples, with accents full of tenderness ”Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep The sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by naoeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coood shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine; and I lay down my life for the sheep”[1] The idea that the crisis of humanity was close at hand frequently recurred to hi-tree: When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that suh
Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest”[2]
[Footnote 1: John x 1-16]
[Footnote 2: Matt xxiv 32; Mark xiii 28; Luke xxi 30; John iv
35]
His powerful eloquence always burst forth when contending with hypocrisy ”The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat All, therefore, whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say and do not For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they theers
”But all their works they do to be seen of e the borders of their garments,[2] and love the upperues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi
Woe unto them!
[Footnote 1: _Totafoth_ or _tefillin_, plates of es of the Lahich the devout Jeore attached to the forehead and left ares (_Ex_ xiii 9; _Deut_ vi 8, xi 18)]
[Footnote 2: _Zizith_, red borders or fringes which the Jeore at the corner of their cloaks to distinguish theans (_Num_ xv 38, 39; _Deut_ xxii 12)]
”Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge, shut up the kingdoo in yourselves, neither suffer ye theo in Woe unto you, for ye devour s' houses, and, for a pretense, reater damnation Woe unto you, for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves! Woe unto you, for ye are as graves which appear not; and the men that walk over them are not aware of them[2]
[Footnote 1: The Pharisees excluded dom of God by their fastidious casuistry, which rendered entrance into it too difficult, and discouraged the unlearned]
[Footnote 2: Contact with the tombs rendered any one impure Great care was, therefore, taken to round Talm
of Bab, _Baba Bathra_, 58 _a_; _Baba Metsia_, 45 _b_ Jesus here reproached the Pharisees for having invented a nuly, and which only served to ements of the law]
”Ye fools, and blind! for ye pay tithe of htier ht ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and s a camel
Woe unto you!
”Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter;[1] but within they are full of extortion and excess Thou blind Pharisee,[2] cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also[3]
[Footnote 1: The purification of vessels was subjected, ast the Pharisees, to the most complicated laws (Mark vii 4)]
[Footnote 2: This epithet, often repeated (Matt xxiii 16, 17, 19, 24, 26), perhaps contains an allusion to the custo with closed eyes in affectation of sanctity]
[Footnote 3: Luke (xi 37, and following) supposes, not without reason, that this verse was uttered during a repast, in answer to the vain scruples of the Pharisees]
”Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited sepulchres,[1] which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity