With Reference to at least 3 different incidents presented in Luke's Gospel, anayalse the reasons for the difference between Jesus and Religious authorities.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Salma Aftab

With Reference to at least 3 different incidents presented in Luke’s Gospel, anayalse the reasons for the difference between Jesus and Religious authorities.

In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is presented as having conflict with the Jewish authorities, the Pharisees in particular. This may also be highlighted by Luke himself to show Jews the errors of their current religion and the superiority of Jesus and his message. Although there were many different political and religious groups in Judaism such as the Sadducees and Zealots, the most famous group Jesus encountered, however, was the Pharisees. While their membership may not have totalled more than a few thousand in his day, their influence was significant. They were often associated with the scribes of the Torah i.e. they interpreted and made sure laws were being correctly implemented. Some of the most harsh rebukes Jesus issued were directed toward the Pharisees. He condemned and illustrated their rapaciousness, their selfishness, their inward spiritual emptiness, and their neglect for the important matters of justice, mercy, and faith. These statements and their frequent citations have resulted, in the word “Pharisee” becoming a synonym in the English language for “hypocrite!”

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One of the reasons Jesus had conflict with the Jewish authorities was because they were waiting for the messiah. They kind of messiah they were expecting would rule over Israel and eliminate the Roman control. This was not the kind of messiah Jesus was and therefore they would have found it very difficult to accept an ordinary man who was increasingly becoming superior to them. It is important to bear in mind that the Jews felt they were the chosen people and the Torah was given to them as gift from God and therefore it was up to them to preserve the laws. The Pharisees were totally convinced that their laws (both written and oral) and religious observances were correct. The idea of the Messiah breaking these laws was unthinkable to them. Throughout His ministry, Jesus violated many of their oral laws. He mixed freely with tax collectors and sinners, making Him ceremonially unclean (Luke 7:39). He ate and drank with them, and was called a glutton and a drunkard (Luke 7:34). He ate with ceremonially unclean hands (Luke 11:38). He broke their Sabbath laws by healing people, and gleaning corn to eat (Luke 13:14) He forgave peoples' sins, which to the Pharisees was blasphemy (Luke 5:21). He also freely criticised the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and self righteousness (Luke 11:37-52). The idea of Jesus criticising them was an outrage (Luke 6:11). They also saw Him as a threat both to their popularity and their authority over the people (Luke 13:17). The law was intended to enable the Israelites to live righteous lives. But the Pharisees had corrupted the law. Disregarding any ethical considerations and being devoid of mercy, they imposed an intolerable burden of legal observance upon the common people. Life for the Jews became slavery to the legal precepts invented by the experts of the law. The Pharisees placed great importance on Temple worship, but they had no personal relationship with God. Their worship was merely formal religious observance Jesus condemned the Pharisees for being careful to appear righteous on the outside, while inside they were full of greed and wickedness.

In (Luke7:36-50) A Pharisee (simon) invited Jesus to have dinner with him. It was unusual that a Pharisee invited Jesus. Simon was a humble and thoughtful Pharisee. When he heard of Jesus, he really wanted to know more about Jesus and so he invited him. Simon the Pharisee’s invitation of Jesus was a shocking event. Simon did not really love Jesus, or try to understand him. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume. The prostitute was repentant, full of love and thanksgiving. Jesus forgave her sins and praised her faith. This would have been very controversial, as the Pharisees did not think Jesus had authority to forgive sins and that he should not have shown any compassion on the woman as this would have contaminated him. He should not have even talked to her yet Jesus illustrates the importance of gratitude by using the metaphor of cancellation of debts. ‘When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of a woman she is – that she is a sinner” (v. 39). Simon was not so much expecting Jesus to exercise some sort of supernatural knowledge of this woman’s background, he was expecting Him just to behave with normal human decency and recoil from her touch: as any upright religious person would do. Simon was more aware of her sin than he was of his own whereas the woman was more aware of her own sin than of anybody else’s.

Another incident is when Jesus accuses the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Jesus criticises they’re washing before the meal as Morris suggested, the law was not encourage hygiene but ceremonial purity and therefore created distinctions between the societies. This once again caused offence to the Pharisees. Jesus continued to tell the Pharisees off and commented on their ill treatment of others in the society.

In conclusion the Pharisees and Jesus did have conflict but this was purely because both parties had the same interest to promote religion. Possibly in different ways. Jesus respected the Jewish customs but just felt he had to correct the errors. He just wanted to teach the right way and not undermine the Torah.