“Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.” Matthew 12:14 NLT
I know it sounds absurd! Weren’t the Pharisees the good guys? Didn’t the religious leaders work for God? How could things get so turned around to the point where they believed that Jesus (God in flesh) was the enemy of God?
For sure, the silence of heaven, when God did not speak for 400 hundred years, was difficult. The Jewish religious experts knew about this because the Talmud teaches, “After the last prophets Chaggai, Zechariah, and Malachi died, the Divine Spirit of prophetic revelation departed from the Jewish people.” And the last book in the Old Testament, Malachi, is the only prophetic book that ends not in deliverance but judgment; in fact, it ends with the word curse, Mal 4:5. One: God was not happy with the stubbornness of His people. Two: the promise to keep their end of the covenant would not be fulfilled.
In short, after 400 years, the Pharisees no longer remembered what God was like! And, the transition from protecting the ways of God to controlling people blinded them from seeing who God was. Jesus did not come in a cloud by day or fire by night. He came as an innocent, helpless baby, born in the most common circumstances of that day.
This is why some religious leaders are still plotting to kill today. They don’t recognize God working! They don’t understand what God is doing among us, so they desire to return to old, extracurricular practices and religious structures to protect what was once cherished, clear and simple. It was never Biblical, but it was an easy interpretation of the “law” or rules that suited the times of change.
The Pharisees were holding the line on certain Old Testament rules. This one was about rules regarding the sabbath. They wanted the people to stay within their designated boundaries and return to the “law” as they interpreted it. This new rabbi Jesus was a rebel! This lawbreaker would be treated like many traitors of God before him! This rabbi didn’t just break their rules, he encouraged others to join him. They must eliminate this rebellion against God! Matthew recorded this in 12:15, “But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them,”
Problem is, Jesus is God. What they called rebellion was in fact freedom. Who they saw as an enemy of God was in fact God’s son. What they called an insurrection would later be a resurrection!
Religion, religious practices and rules in addition to God’s principles are still used to control people and attempt to crush rebellion by using the Bible as the stick of correction. Jesus used this phrase so often, “you have heard it said,” referring to the strict, legal application of the Old Testament laws. But then Jesus, giving us the very character and heart of God, said, “but I say…”
We still have enemies of our soul within the community of faith and from without. God will do His work, bringing salvation and redemption to all humans. We should recognize His work, His character and stop plotting to kill the work of those who are being Jesus to our broken world. I know that no one would think they are outright plotting to kill Jesus today. But I do wonder about the motivations and movements of our spiritual and denominational leaders of the Church. Has God been silent and therefore they feel that they need to speak and act more vehemently against culture to protect God, His Church or His people? I don’t want to thwart God’s plans and ways of accomplishing His will by going backwards or religiously restricting us back to rules, rhythms and rituals that didn’t really work in the past. I want to hear God and move with Him.
Prayer
Dad,
I certainly do not want to be someone who knows you and kind of works for you (at least in the church community) yet becomes disconnected from you. I don’t want discouragement and frustration to fog or blur your purpose and plans for your Kingdom. I want to see your Spirit thrive and revive, heal and restore broken souls. I want to be a part of the revolution not try to constrain you working among us. Help us God, pour our your Holy Spirit once again.