St Matthew, Chapter 15, verse: 4, The Transgression.

Our Paragraph topic is:  ( Christ refutes the Scribes and Pharisees)
Part 3.

The Pharisees questioned Christ.  Within themselves they believed that they had the authority to question him.  They believed that they were the enforcers of the law and that it was their duty to demand correction where they saw wrong.  For the disciples of Christ had taken food without washing.  The disciples had made an error and did not follow the laws and tradition laid down by the Pharisees.  So in their arrogance they questioned Christ about the behavior of his disciples.

Christ saw into their hearts.  Christ saw into their minds.  Christ saw the evil within them that they did not know.  Christ knew who they were and he knew the evil that was in them.  He knew the evil that persuaded them to come and speak about the behavior of the disciples.  For this evil had transgressed the commandments of God before. The evil within them decided that they were to rule mankind.  This evil decided that they were to control man and decide his destiny.  The evil inside decided that mankind would worship them and not the one true God.  The evil within the Pharisees decided that they would turn mankind away from God.  So they persuaded the Pharisees to question Christ.  But Christ saw their evil and he knew who they were.  His question to them was:   "And why do you transgress the commandment of God?"

The Pharisees were only vehicles through which the evil worked.  The Pharisees were only instruments through which the goals of evil were accomplished.  For evil was suggested to them.  Evil worked within them.  Evil made their plans with the Pharisees and the goals of evil were completed through the workings of men.  The Pharisees did not know why they transgressed the commandment of God, but evil knew.  The Pharisees did not know why they believed that they had authority to change the laws of God but evil knew.  For evil wanted to turn man away from God.  Evil hated the commandments of God and evil wanted to deceive mankind so that they could control his behavior and not God.   For God said, 'Honor thy father and thy mother '; and, 'Let him who curses father or mother be put to death.'

And so it is today.  Loving and godly parents lay down the law to their children.  Parents provide for their children.  Parents protect their children, care for them, educate them, give the love and nurturing that the body and soul needs to come forth and be a witness to the will of God.  But then the world takes over.  The world gets into the children.  The world draws the children into the darkness and without hesitation they become lost in the world.  For as the children grow and become older they rebel from the ways of the parents.  The children want the desires and the passions that the world has to offer and regard parents and being old and outdated not in tune with modern times.  And the world calls them to their death.

What makes us transgress the commandments of God?  How do we decide to go against his will?  Do we instantly make the decision to do so?  Do we see a lie and decide to lie?  Do we know dishonor and decide to dishonor?  Do we feel adultery and decide to be adulterous?  Or are we the pawns of the evil that is within us?  Are we whispered to, talked to, have visions from the evil that comes to turn us away?  Are we drawn into the transgression through the simple daily prodding of the world around us?  For evil is in the world.  Evil is through the world.  Evil is the heart of the world and it will not let us go until death comes. 

Do not be taken by evil!  Do not live in the evil of the world believing that it is the reality of life.  For the world is inclined towards death and has no life.  The world is darkness and leads to destruction.  Christ came into the world to bring life.  Christ came into the world that there may be light and not darkness.  But we must choose.  We must be aware of the darkness.  We must awaken from the deceit of the world and open our hearts to the light of Christ.  We are not of this world but of the kingdom of heaven.  For our treasure is in heaven and not in the world.  There lies our home.  There, in heaven, will we find eternal peace and the eternal joy that the world cannot give.  There in heaven will we see ourselves as we are in Christ.

COME!  Find your peace.  Find your truth.  Find your eternal joy and know the truth of the commandments.  For they were given to us to keep us on the path of life, the path that leads us to our eternal home.  Be not persuaded by the urgings of the world to transgress the commandments of God.  For God is our father, our creator, our protector, our provider.  He has prepared great and wondrous things for those who love him.  But for those who transgress, the wrath of the justice of God awaits.  Turn away from the suggestions of the evil that is in the world and live by the commandments of God.  Come!  Have eternal life in Christ!

St Matthew, Chapter 12, verses: 1-2, The Accusations of the Pharisees

Our paragraph topic is:(The disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath) Part 1.

Christ and the disciples have moved on from their previous location and are walking through a field of grain.  The disciples, being simple Jewish people, for they were all Jews, were hungry and did pluck grain from the plants that they were walking through.  They knew the law about working on the Sabbath.  They knew the punishment that was exacted by the Pharisees for those who broke the law.  For the Pharisees were the keepers of the law handed down by Moses to the people of Israel.  But they were the disciples of Christ and they were hungry and there was food to eat before them and they eat.

But the Pharisees who were, in their own eyes, the true believers, saw this act as breaking the laws of God.  They saw this as an act of treason on the part of a teacher sent by God and they would not stand by and allow it to happen.  So they protested to Christ.  They brought it to his attention.  St Matthew tells us, "But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, "Thy disciples are doing what it is not lawful for them to do on the Sabbath."

They told the creator of the law about what was lawful.  They told the creator of the law what he should or should not do.  In their arrogance they told the creator of the law that he was wrong in allowing this act to take place.  They demanded that, as a teacher, he do something about this act of breaking the law of the Sabbath.  They wanted to know that Christ was going to exact punish upon his disciples for breaking the law of the Sabbath.  They, did not know.  They only wanted their satisfaction that his teachings aligned with what they were enforcing upon the people in order to maintain their positions of power and authority. 

The Pharisees followed Christ.  They recognized that he had great power.  They wanted to know who he was.  They wanted to align themselves with his teachings so that they could continue to have their positions of authority.  For they were the enforcers of the Law.  They were the keepers of the Law and everyone who did not follow the Law were punished.  The disciples knew the laws concerning the Sabbath.  But when the Pharisees were not around to enforce the laws, the people, like the disciples, did as they pleased.  They did not follow the strict interpretation of the law as laid down by the enforcers.  For the Pharisees believed that through strict enforcement they were able to control the people.  They believed that through harsh punishment issued to those who broke the law, they could keep the people in line and thereby keep their positions of power.  So they used the law as their yoke upon the people.  They used the law as their basis of authority and their means of control.  It was the Jewish heritage that kept them in authority and their interpretation of the Law handed down by Moses.

We have Pharisees today in our churches.  We have those who know the Bible and use it to keep the people in line.  The Pharisees of today will punish you when you get out of line.  They will beat you up with the scriptures when you do wrong.  They will bring down fire and brimstone upon you and create guilt in your life to keep you in line with the teachings, as they see  them and understand them.  Many times the pharisees in our churches are aligned with the chief priest, the pastor, and together they rule the flock to keep them in line.  They preach fire and brimstone and fear and guilt and doubt so that the congregation will live in awe of the teachings.  And as a result the congregation live in spiritual limbo never knowing the true love of Christ.  The congregation live in a continuing battle with sin never winning and never knowing the power in Christ to conquer sin.  The congregation lives under the dictatorial rule of the chief priest and the pharisees. 

Do you live under the rule of the chief priest and the pharisees in your church?  Are you beaten into compliance by those who would use the Bible to create fear and guilt in your life?  Christ did not preach fear and doubt.  Christ does not seek guilt in your life.  Christ seeks your love.  Christ seeks your understanding.  Christ wants to teach each and every one of us his principles for they are light and his yoke is easy.  For he is meek and humble.  Christ wants us to know him, have a relationship with him and to carry him in our heart.  And when we fail, he does not condemn us.  He reaches out a helping hand to lift you up that you may know the true love that he bares for you.  Do not be a pharisee in your church.  Be Christ like in your church, lending a helping hand to those who fall.  For though we practice the principles given us by God, we are all, human and not perfect and do not live perfect lives.  If Christ can forgive us for our faults, we should forgive others of their faults and failures also.  Be Christ like and not a Pharisee!!