The Pharisees – Part 4
June 18, 2000
Dear Friends:
We have been discussing the separateness of the Pharisees. We will examine the last aspect of their separation this week which is physical separation.
Since the Pharisee perceived that he was better (i.e. more righteous) than other men, he physically removed himself from the presence of men who he deemed unfit for his righteousness. We all remember the incidents with Jesus when the Pharisees questioned whether Jesus could be a righteous man if he countenanced the company of sinners.
“And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Matt. 9:10-13)
And a similar account in Luke:
“Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:39)
To the Pharisee, Jesus’ presence with sinners did two things. First, it contaminated him. The physical association with the sinner made Jesus unclean in a legal sense. Secondly, they felt it legitimized the sin. In other words, Jesus being with sinners made it look like he approved of the sinner’s lifestyle.
In his letters, Paul deals with the problem of physical association with nonbelievers. In 1 Corinthians 5, there were brethren who has misunderstood a previous communication from Paul where Paul had written “not to company with fornicators.” Paul further explains what he had said about separation to the confused Corinthians when he states “not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.” (NIV) The rightness of God’s moral standard was shown to the sinner by “principled” association and shown to the erring brother by disassociation. The “principled” association with the world was not succumbing to their morality while dealing with them.
Indeed, it is virtually impossible to follow Jesus command to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” if we completely separate from them. The separateness then is not physical, as the Pharisees thought, but separation from the sinful conduct of mankind.
So to conclude our thought on separateness, there is an appropriate separation which occurs between true believers and the world. It is a spiritual separation. In contrast to that desired spiritual separation that we strive for, the Pharisees or “separatists” (as their name literally means) did achieve a distinct form of separation – separation in the Biblical record for the greatest condemnation that Jesus metes out to any one body of people.
In short, we are called to be a separate and holy, but the Pharisees show us plainly how not to go about doing it.
Have a great week!
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