In his public teachings, Jesus spoke out against the wrong actions and attitudes of the orthodox religious leaders by telling parables. This angered the Pharisees. Their reputation was on the line. They were used to being held in high regard by the Jewish people, who followed their teachings rigorously, believing the Pharisees had the recipe for
good, faithful living. They felt they needed to silence Jesus somehow before he called out any more of their shortcomings.
As they planned their counterattack, they found an ally in the most unlikely places: the Herodians. As their name suggests, the Herodians supported Herod, King of Galilee, who owed his power to the Romans. As such, the Herodians upheld
Roman Law and moved swiftly to eliminate anyone who did not follow likewise.
There is a saying, “Desperate times call for desperate measures”. Partnering with an opposition whose opinion you have fundamentally disagreed with to achieve your desired results can call into question whether your motives are honourable or selfish politicking.
The Pharisees’ questionable motives are further clouded by the manipulative way they approach Jesus. Feeling threatened when you are being showered with flattering comments is hard.
They address Jesus as a “teacher”, a title reserved for
someone whose knowledge was respected in the community. Any casual passerby would have almost certainly stopped to listen to what such a learned man had to say.
Their public acclaim of Jesus as a man of integrity whose teaching pointed to God and truth would have further placed Jesus on the proverbial pedestal. It is a pity that the most truthful part of this
interaction offered by the Pharisees focused on dishonest intent. Ironically, it was because Jesus was the person they described that he could rise above this attempt to stroke his ego. He stayed focused on God’s mission and message.
The bad spirit turns our focus away from God by manipulating truth. When this happens, we are not brought to a place of faith,
hope and love. Our attention is turned to the things that are not of God. We may become unsettled, defensive, threatened and tempted to act from a place of self-preservation.
Who are the people you pay attention to?
What or who influences your interest in
that person(s)?
Where do you find yourself focusing when in challenging situations?
Is there anything in these reflection questions you would like to discuss with God?
Reflections by Cherie-Lynn van der Merwe
