Worthless Relgion

Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus was a great divider among the Jewish People when He appeared.   He did not appear to be the coming king that was promised. 

The Scribes wrote out copies of Jewish Law and taught the people what the law said.  They were known for being lawyers because of their vast understanding of Jewish Law.  They had no authority or power but they did carry great status among the Jewish People because of the vast knowledge of the Jewish Law.  The Scribes also believed that Jesus was not the coming king that was prophesied in scripture and they did not believe in the Resurrection.  Jesus did not defer to others like the Scribes did, in regards to were His authority came from.  Jesus proclaimed His Authority came from God and not man.

The Pharisees strictly followed Jewish customs, traditions, and ceremonies.  The Pharisees believed that the Jewish people could only be considered righteous if they followed Jewish Customs and abstained from Roman practices.   So when Jesus healed on the Sabbath and claimed His Deity, the Pharisees openly opposed Him because they considered that the coming King would not be God and he would be a King that kept all the customs and practices.  Jesus had great conflict with Pharisees because although they had a good moral code they only practiced them for others to see.  Inwardly, The Pharisees were morally and spiritually corrupt in the eyes of God. 

The Sadducees were from the upper class in Jewish Society.   They sided with the Romans and appeased them to keep and maintain their positions.  They had great fear that Jesus would lead a revolt and overthrow Rome.  If Jesus were to overthrow the Roman Empire it meant a loss of rank and importance for the Sadducees.  Jesus however was not opposed to Roman rule; The Sadducees could not understand what His Kingdom truly was.

These three religious groups all opposed Jesus teachings. However the Jewish people faithfully considered the teachings, advice, and guidance of these three groups as coming from the very lips of God.  But when Jesus began teaching God’s Word it directly contradicted everything that the three religious groups were teaching. 

Everywhere Jesus went the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees followed.  They were not following Jesus because hunger for God, no they were following Jesus to oppose Him.  Jesus teachings jeopardized their status, position, and authority.  So when we read the Sermon on the Mount we must understand that Jesus is talking to the three opposing groups, His Disciples, and the crowds following Him.  It is also helpful to know that it was a common belief that only those with authority, power, or status were worthy of God’s coming Kingdom.  The Scribes were worthy because they knew the Law and taught the people.  The Pharisees were worthy because of their righteousness.  And the Sadducees were worthy because it appeared that God’s favored them due to their status in life. But in the eyes of the Lord these three groups were rejecting God by not accepting Christ (Matthew 22:1-14). 

In Matthew 5, Christ withdrew Himself from a large crowd and began to teach His Disciples. He began by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).    When Jesus uses the word “poor” He is not talking about the crowd’s class status.  Instead He is using the word poor as an adjective to describe their current spiritual condition.  He was using it to metaphorically describe the religion of the Jews.  (Much the same was Paul did in Galatians 4:9)   Jesus was telling them that what they thought was religion was utterly worthless and had no real value.  Despite this He calls the people blessed or “happy” and fortunate” because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.  Jesus is telling them that Heaven is for them (but it important to note here that wherever the Kingdom is, that is also where the King will be).  So essentially Jesus is telling them despite the worthless religion that they have, He has come for them.  He has come to give them something more than what they have.  He has come to give them something true, real, and everlasting.  He has come to give His life that they might spend eternity with Him (John 3:16, John 14:1-3).    So they are blessed as long as they receive Him.

Now Remember the Pharisees taught the people to live to a high moral code.  They instructed them to keep and adhere to all the Jewish customs, traditions, and religious practices.  But this high standard offered no grace and mercy for those who failed to keep it.  The Pharisees were only concerned with publicly living a moral life but they never internalized it.  They were like “Twinkies” without the cream filling, empty inside.  And Jesus spoke out against doing deeds so others may see and give you glory (Matthew 6:1-18).  The Lord is not saying hide your good works (Matthew 5:17) but rather do the works and let others give Him the Glory.  We perform the good works because we love our Lord, but if we are performing these works and void of love it is worthless (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).  And those living this form of righteousness will not inherit the kingdom (Matthew 5:20).  We rely on His righteousness to obtain eternal life and not our own (Romans 3:21-31). 

Jesus does not look at our social, economic, or political status, He looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:17).   The Sadducees loved their status and were bent on serving Rome and not God.  Though they spoke as if they loved God, He was not their Lord.  When we set our hearts on the things of men and not the things of God we become a stumbling block for Christians who want to do God’s Will (Matthew 16:21-23).  Unlike the Sadducees who wanted to gain all that Rome had to offer, God calls us to deny ourselves and seek Him (Matthew 16:24-28).  So The Sadducees could not break their devotion to their wealth and status and therefore could not accept Jesus.  If we act like the Sadducees, who befriended the world, than we are considered an enemy to God (James 4:4).  We cannot accept Jesus if we do not deny ourselves.  We cannot serve both God and our selfish desires (Matthew 6:24). So Jesus is for those who desire Him and not this world. 

Jesus belongs to those who can rely on His Word and His Wisdom.  The Scribes relayed on their own wisdom and understanding of God’s Word.  They became so entrenched in their interpretation of scripture that when the fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17) arrived they could recognize Him for who He was.  But it is the Lord who gives us understanding of His Word (119:18) and not us.  And it is His Spirit that we depend on to lead and guide us that we may glorify Him (Galatians 5:16-26). So we must humble ourselves and put our pride aside (James 4:10).  But we are forewarned that pride will always come before our destruction (Proverbs 16:18-19).  People who rely on their own wisdom build their lives unstable ground and easily succumb to the pressures of life.  But those who live their lives based on God’s wisdom can withstand the test of time (Matthew 7:24-29).  So Jesus is for those who humbly depend on God and His Word (Isaiah 66:2). 

Stay focused, you can do this!

In His JOY!