Pharisee or Sadducees - Who Were THey?

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying,                   
"The scribes and the Pharisees
have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you,
but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry
and lay them on people's shoulders,
but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'

As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.'

You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.

Call no one on earth your father;

you have but one Father in heaven.

Do not be called 'Master';

you have but one master, the Christ.

The greatest among you must be your servant.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled,

but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

Today's reading is chock full of the things that make arguing with Protestants so much fun!   But, we've already covered these fun to fight subjects so, I wasn't quite sure how to approach this reading.  We notice that Jesus is coming down hard on the scribes and the Pharisees.  Was being a Pharisee evil in of itself?  Actually, there was a lot of things that they did that were good and worthy of being imitated.  They were pious, devoted to Yahweh and believed both in the afterlife and the resurrection of the dead. They did not get along so well with the Sadducees, the upper class, who made up the cadre of priests.  The Pharisees could spend hours endlessly speculating on the Law and its many interpretations while the Sadducees believed in black letter interpretation of the Torah and I guess would be what we would call today a fundamentalist.  The typical Pharisee was middle class while the Sadducee was born into the upper class. The Pharisee believed in an afterlife, the resurrection of the dead, and distrusted the Jewish leadership. The upper-class Sadducee believed in none of these things.  There was a third class involved in temple worship, these would be the common folks, people like you and I, who looked to these two groups for the proper way to worship Yahweh. 

Jesus was very critical of how the Pharisees acted and points out the things that they do that He does not like.  He mentions, for example,  that they widen their phylacteries, which were small boxes containing the Law that would be worn on the head so that one would always remember to keep the Law.  Jesus pointed out that the Pharisees made theirs larger than normal so that they were more noticeable.  As a matter of fact, He points out that they do everything so that they will be seen and appear to be holy and observant men.  Jesus is against all of these outward displays of religiosity since they do not match what is being carries inside the heart of the man.  The Pharisees were known as master debaters. They would debate the fine points of the Law and come up with regulations that regulated the regulations that they had made up and so made life harder for the people while they themselves would find reasons why such laws and regulations were not meant for them. 

This Lenten season we should make an effort to disguise our acts of penitence and keep them just between God and ourselves.  Yes, fast, but act as if you are filled to the brim with food!   Yes, pray, but pray in secret where no one can see and pour your heart out to God.  He will listen to you!  Be kinder, be more gentle, be ready to serve, all on the "QT."  The Lord will be pleased with your service if you do it for Him and desire nor expect a return favor or any acknowledgment from those you serve. 

Here is something you can do, keep secret, and accomplish a good work (one of the Spiritual Acts of Mercy) that will benefit others.  That is to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.  An Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be prayed for them is very helpful and is needed.  There are millions of souls in Purgatory that no one prays for either because, like the Protestants, they do not believe in Purgatory so no prayers are offered for their loved dead or because we believe that members of our family or friends that have passed are already in Heaven.  Oh, I wish with all my heart that this is so.  But remember it might not be.  Please pray for your relatives and friends by name.  Do not allow your love for them stop at the grave.   Thank You!