Why was Jesus critical of the Pharisees?
Question:
Why was Jesus critical of the Pharisees? Provide some examples.
Answer:
Jesus’ relentless and oft times harsh (yet fair and truthful) critique of the Pharisees is most concisely understood by reading Luke 11:37-54. This is a dinner invitation “gone bad” for the Pharisee who invited Jesus to partake in a meal together. Prompted by the catalytic act “that Jesus did not first wash before the meal” (Luke 11:38), Jesus begins His rebuking of the Pharisees in a six-point thesis. Interestingly, we also see how Jesus doesn’t tailor His speech in private as He proclaims this same fundamental message in a public setting in Matthew 23. But perhaps we can begin by looking at the preamble and the “six woes” to understand from Jesus Himself why He was so critical of this group of seemingly pious people.
(Luke 11:39-41) Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
This is the most common condemnation that Jesus lays upon the Pharisees – hypocrisy. This hypocrisy is rooted in a more nuanced issue as the Pharisees were more concerned with outward appearances. Jesus calls it “foolish” not simply because of the…
Why did Jesus use parables? What are the principles used to interpret parables? Choose a parable and illustrate its meaning.
Question:
Why did Jesus use parables? What are the principles used to interpret parables? Choose a parable and illustrate its meaning.
Answer:
Jesus’ use of parables (or allegorical stories) was an effective way for him to share deep truths in 2 seemingly contradictory ways. Firstly, so that His teachings could be easily understood and remembered. I have found in my profession in Marketing that the most effective presentations are always ones that have a “story” to tell. It can be explicit as one shares an anecdote or it can be in how a presentation/pitch is created to illustrate a business case or value proposition. A good “story” is crafted most effectively when one understands the audience’s mindset, vernacular, and tendencies and then uses this combined knowledge to present a simple and relevant picture to the audience. Jesus does this when He uses parables that took into account His audiences mindset (Jewish), vernacular (Hebrew, Aramaic, agricultural societies often), and tendencies (knowledge of the Scriptures and political sensitivities). Secondly, Jesus used the parable format to sometimes conceal the message (based on His choice timing) due to the hardness of people’s hearts (Matthew 13:10-17), and their potential quick reaction to His message.
When Jesus told His parables, He sometimes made them clear to everyone (Matthew 13:34-35), but at other times, He left a veil of understanding only to be revealed later (Mark 4:10-12). Or Jesus would even tell the parables in such a way that…
The Truth: Absolute and Unchanging. Infinite and Incarnate.
Key verse(s)/quote(s):
“What was truth to Abraham is truth to us; what was truth to Paul is truth to us; what was truth to the martyrs is truth to us; what is truth to us will be truth to all generations of the world in all lands, and will be truth for ever. This fact, too, is a just foundation for universal praise…” - Albert Barnes
“The truth of the matter is that all truth is absolute — there are no relative truths. If something really is true, then it really is true everywhere and for everyone.” - Norman Geisler
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6
Key takeaway(s):
- The nature of truth is absolute.
- The nature of truth requires a decision.
- We must apply the truth by: Living it, Defending it Without Fear, and Proclaiming it.
Overview:
Among the plethora of topics discussed on this site, Truth remains at the core of all that TiS stands for. The declaration of an absolute, unchanging, infinite and incarnate Truth is what TiS’ sole mission is founded upon (click here for details). Without an accurate and objective understanding of Truth as a philosophical concept, it is impossible to realize the need to seek Truth and understand that it demands exclusivity. For instance, if one were to…
Theology matters + New Theology in Sneakers radio show.
People often ask me why I care so much about theology. People often slouch back when one expounds on the finer theological details that function as the threads forming the tapestry that is the Gospel. People often sigh when one expresses a heart-felt desire to be a careful handler (exegete) of God’s Word. People often look at theology as a mind draining life sucking emotionally insensitive spiritually detached academic exercise. The objections to theology can be obvious in the acidity of the critiques such as “You are wasting time on the details when they don’t matter so much” or masked in sweetness evidenced in the claims echoed in phrases such as “I rather focus on the love of God”. To each of these groups of people I must humbly and yet confidently submit that theology must be important by definition - after all ‘theology’ is the composite of 2 Greek words meaning the “study of God”. How can one say that studying God is devoid of life when it is the study of the one who is the Source of all life? As St. Jerome so eloquently and simply once said, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”
I understand the hesitation by some to dive into God’s Word but the fact that we are instructed to live based on the Word of God and that it is God’s revealed truth seems counter intuitive to the apparent desire of those seeking to be closer…
Theodicy or Fallacy? Suffering in a world of a loving God.
Key verse(s)/quote(s):
“Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?” - Epicurus, as quoted in “2000 Years of Disbelief”
“Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” - Job 38:1-4
“Then Job answered the LORD : “I am unworthy — how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.” - Job 40:3-5
Key takeaway(s):
- Humanity continually wishes to usurp God’s role as sole judge.
- God’s sovereignty demonstrated by His role as Creator is a continual reminder that the created (humans) cannot have the same wisdom as the Creator.
- Suffering can be used by God even if we can’t understand its purpose. His ways are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9)
- Worrying or complaining or questioning God = epic logic fail = epic faith fail
Overview:
As the scale of calamity increases for any disastrous…
