Who’s toughest Jesus or Pharisees?

Pharisees were classical bullies

Act tough but have no inner strength

Jesus Acted gentle but had real inner strength

TOUGH - Able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking; strong and resilient: a tough all-weather fabric.

  1. Hard to cut or chew: tough meat.
  2. Physically hardy; rugged: tough mountaineers; a tough cop.
  3. Severe; harsh: a tough winter.
  4. a. Aggressive; pugnacious. b. Inclined to violent or disruptive behavior; rowdy or rough: a tough street group.
  5. Demanding or troubling; difficult: skipping the toughest questions.
  6. Strong-minded; resolute: a tough negotiator.
  7. Slang. Unfortunate; too bad: a tough break.

The Pharisees definition of tough comes way down the list. They only acted tough and harsh but could not endure.

The Pharisees laid burdens on people but did not have the strength to remove them.

Mat 23:2-7, "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. {3} So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. {4} They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden. {5} "Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear extra long tassels on their robes. {6} And how they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the most prominent seats in the synagogue! {7} They enjoy the attention they get on the streets, and they enjoy being called ‘Rabbi.’

They Left off the Important Matters

Pharisee’s message only went skin deep. It was just a list of do’s and don’ts.

Mat 23:23-24, "How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things. {24} Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat; then you swallow a camel!

Jesus’ Message was Tough to the Core

John 13:34-35, So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. {35} Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

Mat 5:44-48, But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! {45} In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too. {46} If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. {47} If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. {48} But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Mat 6:11-15, Give us our food for today, {12} and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. {13} And don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. {14} "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. {15} But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Mat 5:39, But I say, don’t resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too.

Jesus was tough with those who were bullies – never rough with hurting.

As straight as the Pharisee doctrine was – they were not on the "straight and narrow."

Being a legalist is not unusual – the majority are – only the law varies. Everyone wants his or her way.

Arguments are not really about what is right, but about who is right.

  • The bite of legalism spreads paralyzing venom into the body of Christ. Its poison blinds our eyes, dulls our edge, and arouses pride in our hearts. Soon our love is eclipsed as it turns into a mental clipboard with a long checklist. Charles Swindoll
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    What is rare is to love as Jesus did - To sacrifice like He did

    If we give our bodies as a sacrifice, how can we continue to fight for "our" way?

    Rom 12:1-2, And so, dear Christian friends, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? {2} Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

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