The Desire of Ages
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 67: Woes on the Pharisees
This chapter is based on Matt. 23; Mark 12:41-44; Luke
20:45-47; 21:1-4.
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It was the last day of Christ's teaching in the temple. Of
the vast throngs that were gathered at Jerusalem, the attention of all had been
attracted to Him; the people had crowded the temple courts, watching the
contest that had been in progress, and they eagerly caught every word that fell
from His lips. Never before had such a scene been witnessed. There stood the
young Galilean, bearing no earthly honor or royal badge. Surrounding Him were
priests in their rich apparel, rulers with robes and badges significant of their
exalted station, and scribes with scrolls in their hands, to which they made
frequent reference. Jesus stood calmly before them, with the dignity of a king.
As one invested with the authority of heaven, He looked unflinchingly upon His
adversaries, who had rejected and despised His teachings, and who thirsted for
His life. They had assailed Him in great numbers, but their schemes to ensnare
and condemn Him had been in vain. Challenge after challenge He had met,
presenting the pure, bright truth in contrast to the darkness and errors of the
priests and Pharisees. He had set before these leaders their real condition,
and the retribution sure to follow persistence in their evil deeds. The warning
had been faithfully given. Yet another [611] work
remained for Christ to do. Another purpose was still to be accomplished. {DA 610.1}
The interest of the people in Christ and His work had
steadily increased. They were charmed with His teaching, but they were also
greatly perplexed. They had respected the priests and rabbis for their
intelligence and apparent piety. In all religious matters they had ever yielded
implicit obedience to their authority. Yet they now saw these men trying to
cast discredit upon Jesus, a teacher whose virtue and knowledge shone forth the
brighter from every assault. They looked upon the lowering countenances of the
priests and elders, and there saw discomfiture and confusion. They marveled
that the rulers would not believe on Jesus, when His teachings were so plain
and simple. They themselves knew not what course to take. With eager anxiety
they watched the movements of those whose counsel they had always followed. {DA 611.1}
In the parables which Christ had spoken, it was His purpose
both to warn the rulers and to instruct the people who were willing to be
taught. But there was need to speak yet more plainly. Through their reverence
for tradition and their blind faith in a corrupt priesthood, the people were [612]
enslaved. These chains Christ must break. The character of the priests, rulers,
and Pharisees must be more fully exposed. {DA 611.2}
"The scribes and the Pharisees," He said,
"sit in Moses' seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that
observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do
not." The scribes and Pharisees claimed to be invested with divine
authority similar to that of Moses. They assumed to take his place as
expounders of the law and judges of the people. As such they claimed from the
people the utmost deference and obedience. Jesus bade His hearers do that which
the rabbis taught according to the law, but not to follow their example. They
themselves did not practice their own teaching. {DA 612.1}
And they taught much that was contrary to the Scriptures.
Jesus said, "They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay
them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of
their fingers." The Pharisees enjoined a multitude of regulations, having
their foundation in tradition, and unreasonably restricting personal liberty.
And certain portions of the law they so explained as to impose upon the people
observances which they themselves secretly ignored, and from which, when it
served their purpose, they actually claimed exemption. {DA 612.2}
To make a show of their piety was their constant aim.
Nothing was held too sacred to serve this end. To Moses God had said concerning
His commandments, "Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and
they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes." Deuteronomy 6:8. These
words have a deep meaning. As the word of God is meditated upon and practiced,
the whole man will be ennobled. In righteous and merciful dealing, the hands
will reveal, as a signet, the principles of God's law. They will be kept clean
from bribes, and from all that is corrupt and deceptive. They will be active in
works of love and compassion. The eyes, directed toward a noble purpose, will
be clear and true. The expressive countenance, the speaking eye, will testify
to the blameless character of him who loves and honors the word of God. But by
the Jews of Christ's day all this was undiscerned. The command given to Moses
was construed into a direction that the precepts of Scripture should be worn
upon the person. They were accordingly written upon strips of parchment, and
bound in a conspicuous manner about the head and wrists. But this did not cause
the law of God to take a firmer hold of the mind and heart. These parchments
were worn merely as badges, [613] to attract attention. They were
thought to give the wearers an air of devotion which would command the
reverence of the people. Jesus struck a blow at this vain pretense: {DA 612.3}
"But all their works they do for to be seen of men:
they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not
ye called Rabbi: for One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for One is your Father, which is in
heaven. Neither be ye called master: for One is your Master, even Christ."
In such plain words the Saviour revealed the selfish ambition that was ever
reaching for place and power, displaying a mock humility, while the heart was
filled with avarice and envy. When persons were invited to a feast, the guests
were seated according to their rank, and those who were given the most
honorable place received the first attention and special favors. The Pharisees
were ever scheming to secure these honors. This practice Jesus rebuked. {DA 613.1}
He also reproved the vanity shown in coveting the title of
rabbi, or master. Such a title, He declared, belonged not to men, but to
Christ. Priests, scribes, and rulers, expounders and administrators of the law,
were all brethren, children of one Father. Jesus impressed upon the people that
they were to give no man a title of honor indicating his control of their
conscience or their faith. {DA
613.2}
If Christ were on earth today, surrounded by those who bear
the title of "Reverend" or "Right Reverend," would He not
repeat His saying, "Neither be ye called masters: for One is your Master,
even Christ"? The Scripture declares of God, "Holy and reverend is
His name." Psalm 111:9. To what human being is such a title befitting? How
little does man reveal of the wisdom and righteousness it indicates! How many
of those who assume this title are misrepresenting the name and character of
God! Alas, how often have worldly ambition, despotism, and the basest sins been
hidden under the broidered garments of a high and holy office! The Saviour
continued: {DA 613.3}
"But he that is greatest among you shall be your
servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall
humble himself shall be exalted." Again and again Christ had taught that
true greatness is measured by moral worth. In the estimation of heaven,
greatness of character consists in living for the welfare of our fellow men, in
[614]
doing works of love and mercy. Christ the King of glory was a servant to fallen
man. {DA 613.4}
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,"
said Jesus; "for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye
neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go
in." By perverting the Scriptures, the priests and lawyers blinded the
minds of those who would otherwise have received a knowledge of Christ's
kingdom, and that inward, divine life which is essential to true holiness. {DA 614.1}
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye
shall receive the greater damnation." The Pharisees had great influence
with the people, and of this they took advantage to serve their own interests.
They gained the confidence of pious widows, and then represented it as a duty
for them to devote their property to religious purposes. Having secured control
of their money, the wily schemers used it for their own benefit. To cover their
dishonesty, they offered long prayers in public, and made a great show of
piety. This hypocrisy Christ declared would bring them the greater damnation.
The same rebuke falls upon many in our day who make a high profession of piety.
Their lives are stained by selfishness and avarice, yet they throw over it all
a garment of seeming purity, and thus for a time deceive their fellow men. But
they cannot deceive God. He reads every purpose of the heart, and will judge
every man according to his deeds. {DA 614.2}
Christ unsparingly condemned abuses, but He was careful not
to lessen obligation. He rebuked the selfishness that extorted and misapplied
the widow's gifts. At the same time He commended the widow who brought her
offering for God's treasury. Man's abuse of the gift could not turn God's
blessing from the giver. {DA
614.3}
Jesus was in the court where were the treasure chests, and
He watched those who came to deposit their gifts. Many of the rich brought
large sums, which they presented with great ostentation. Jesus looked upon them
sadly, but made no comment on their liberal offerings. Presently His
countenance lighted as He saw a poor widow approach hesitatingly, as though
fearful of being observed. As the rich and haughty swept by, to deposit their
offerings, she shrank back as if hardly daring to venture farther. And yet she
longed to do something, little though it might be, for the cause she loved. She
looked at the gift in her hand. It was very small in comparison with the gifts
of those around her, yet it was her all. [615]
Watching her opportunity, she hurriedly threw in her two mites, and turned to
hasten away. But in doing this she caught the eye of Jesus, which was fastened
earnestly upon her. {DA
614.4}
The Saviour called His disciples to Him, and bade them mark
the widow's poverty. Then His words of commendation fell upon her ear: "Of
a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they
all." Tears of joy filled her eyes as she felt that her act was understood
and appreciated. Many would have advised her to keep her pittance for her own
use; given into the hands of the well-fed priests, it would be lost sight of
among the many costly gifts brought to the treasury. But Jesus understood her
motive. She believed the service of the temple to be of God's appointment, and
she was anxious to do her utmost to sustain it. She did what she could, and her
act was to be a monument to her memory through all time, and her joy in
eternity. Her heart went with her gift; its value was estimated, not by the
worth of the coin, but by the love to God and the interest in His work that had
prompted the deed. {DA
615.1}
Jesus said of the poor widow, She "hath cast in more
than they all." The rich had bestowed from their abundance, many of them
to be seen and honored by men. Their large donations had deprived them of no
comfort, or even luxury; they had required no sacrifice, and could not be
compared in value with the widow's mite. {DA 615.2}
It is the motive that gives character to our acts, stamping
them with ignominy or with high moral worth. Not the great things which every
eye sees and every tongue praises does God account most precious. The little
duties cheerfully done, the little gifts which make no show, and which to human
eyes may appear worthless, often stand highest in His sight. A heart of faith
and love is dearer to God than the most costly gift. The poor widow gave her
living to do the little that she did. She deprived herself of food in order to
give those two mites to the cause she loved. And she did it in faith, believing
that her heavenly Father would not overlook her great need. It was this
unselfish spirit and childlike faith that won the Saviour's commendation. {DA 615.3}
Among the poor there are many who long to show their
gratitude to God for His grace and truth. They greatly desire to share with
their more prosperous brethren in sustaining His service. These souls should
not be repulsed. Let them lay up their mites in the bank of heaven. If given
from a heart filled with love for God, these seeming trifles become consecrated
gifts, priceless offerings, which God smiles upon and blesses. [616]
{DA 615.4}
When Jesus said of the widow, She "hath cast in more
than they all," His words were true, not only of the motive, but of the
results of her gift. The "two mites which make a farthing" have
brought to God's treasury an amount of money far greater than the contributions
of those rich Jews. The influence of that little gift has been like a stream,
small in its beginning, but widening and deepening as it flowed down through
the ages. In a thousand ways it has contributed to the relief of the poor and
the spread of the gospel. Her example of self-sacrifice has acted and reacted
upon thousands of hearts in every land and in every age. It has appealed to
both the rich and the poor, and their offerings have swelled the value of her
gift. God's blessing upon the widow's mite has made it the source of great
results. So with every gift bestowed and every act performed with a sincere
desire for God's glory. It is linked with the purposes of Omnipotence. Its
results for good no man can measure. {DA 616.1}
The Saviour continued His denunciations of the scribes and
Pharisees: "Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall
swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of
the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the
gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? and, Whosoever shall swear by
the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it,
he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the
altar that sanctifieth the gift?" The priests interpreted God's
requirements according to their own false and narrow standard. They presumed to
make nice distinctions as to the comparative guilt of various sins, passing
over some lightly, and treating others of perhaps less consequence as
unpardonable. For a money consideration they excused persons from their vows.
And for large sums of money they sometimes passed over aggravated crimes. At
the same time these priests and rulers would in other cases pronounce severe
judgment for trivial offenses. {DA 616.2}
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier
matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done,
and not to leave the other undone." In these words Christ again condemns
the abuse of sacred obligation. The obligation itself He does not set aside.
The tithing system was ordained by God, and it had been observed from the
earliest times. Abraham, the father of the faithful, paid tithes of all that he
possessed. The Jewish rulers recognized the obligation of tithing, and this was
right; but they did not leave the people to carry [617] out
their own convictions of duty. Arbitrary rules were laid down for every case.
The requirements had become so complicated that it was impossible for them to
be fulfilled. None knew when their obligations were met. As God gave it, the
system was just and reasonable; but the priests and rabbis had made it a
wearisome burden. {DA
616.3}
All that God commands is of consequence. Christ recognized
the payment of tithes as a duty; but He showed that this could not excuse the
neglect of other duties. The Pharisees were very exact in tithing garden herbs,
such as mint, anise, and rue; this cost them little, and it gave them a
reputation for exactness and sanctity. At the same time their useless
restrictions oppressed the people and destroyed respect for the sacred system
of God's own appointing. They occupied men's minds with trifling distinctions,
and turned their attention from essential truths. The weightier matters of the
law, justice, mercy, and truth, were neglected. "These," Christ said,
"ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." {DA 617.1}
Other laws had been perverted by the rabbis in like manner.
In the directions given through Moses it was forbidden to eat any unclean
thing. The use of swine's flesh, and the flesh of certain other animals, was
prohibited, as likely to fill the blood with impurities, and to shorten life.
But the Pharisees did not leave these restrictions as God had given them. They
went to unwarranted extremes. Among other things the people were required to
strain all the water used, lest it should contain the smallest insect, which
might be classed with the unclean animals. Jesus, contrasting these trivial
exactions with the magnitude of their actual sins, said to the Pharisees, "Ye
blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel." {DA 617.2}
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but
are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness." As the
whited and beautifully decorated tomb concealed the putrefying remains within,
so the outward holiness of the priests and rulers concealed iniquity. Jesus
continued: {DA 617.3}
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the
righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not
have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be
witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which [618]
killed the prophets." To show their esteem for the dead prophets, the Jews
were very zealous in beautifying their tombs; but they did not profit by their
teachings, nor give heed to their reproofs. {DA 617.4}
In the days of Christ a superstitious regard was cherished
for the resting places of the dead, and vast sums of money were lavished upon
their decoration. In the sight of God this was idolatry. In their undue regard
for the dead, men showed that they did not love God supremely, nor their
neighbor as themselves. The same idolatry is carried to great lengths today.
Many are guilty of neglecting the widow and the fatherless, the sick and the
poor, in order to build expensive monuments for the dead. Time, money, and
labor are freely spent for this purpose, while duties to the living—duties
which Christ has plainly enjoined—are left undone. {DA 618.1}
The Pharisees built the tombs of the prophets, and adorned
their sepulchers, and said one to another, If we had lived in the days of our
fathers, we would not have united with them in shedding the blood of God's
servants. At the same time they were planning to take the life of His Son. This
should be a lesson to us. It should open our eyes to the power of Satan to deceive
the mind that turns from the light of truth. Many follow in the track of the
Pharisees. They revere those who have died for their faith. They wonder at the
blindness of the Jews in rejecting Christ. Had we lived in His day, they
declare, we would gladly have received His teaching; we would never have been
partakers in the guilt of those who rejected the Saviour. But when obedience to
God requires self-denial and humiliation, these very persons stifle their
convictions, and refuse obedience. Thus they manifest the same spirit as did
the Pharisees whom Christ condemned. {DA 618.2}
Little did the Jews realize the terrible responsibility
involved in rejecting Christ. From the time when the first innocent blood was
shed, when righteous Abel fell by the hand of Cain, the same history had been
repeated, with increasing guilt. In every age prophets had lifted up their
voices against the sins of kings, rulers, and people, speaking the words which
God gave them, and obeying His will at the peril of their lives. From
generation to generation there had been heaping up a terrible punishment for
the rejecters of light and truth. This the enemies of Christ were now drawing
down upon their own heads. The sin of the priests and rulers was greater than
that of any preceding generation. By their rejection of the Saviour, they were
making themselves responsible [619] for the blood of all the
righteous men slain from Abel to Christ. They were about to fill to overflowing
their cup of iniquity. And soon it was to be poured upon their heads in
retributive justice. Of this, Jesus warned them: {DA 618.3}
"That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed
upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias
son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say
unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation." {DA 619.1}
The scribes and Pharisees who listened to Jesus knew that
His words were true. They knew how the prophet Zacharias had been slain. While
the words of warning from God were upon his lips, a satanic fury seized the
apostate king, and at his command the prophet was put to death. His blood had
imprinted itself upon the very stones of the temple court, and could not be
erased; it remained to bear testimony against apostate Israel. As long as the
temple should stand, there would be the stain of that righteous blood, crying
to God to be avenged. As Jesus referred to these fearful sins, a thrill of
horror ran through the multitude. {DA 619.2}
Looking forward, Jesus declared that the impenitence of the
Jews and their intolerance of God's servants would be the same in the future as
it had been in the past: {DA
619.3}
"Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise
men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them
shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to
city." Prophets and wise men, full of faith and the Holy Ghost,—Stephen,
James, and many others,—would be condemned and slain. With hand
uplifted to heaven, and a divine light enshrouding His person, Christ spoke as
a judge to those before Him. His voice, that had so often been heard in
gentleness and entreaty, was now heard in rebuke and condemnation. The
listeners shuddered. Never was the impression made by His words and His look to
be effaced. {DA 619.4}
Christ's indignation was directed against the hypocrisy, the
gross sins, by which men were destroying their own souls, deceiving the people
and dishonoring God. In the specious deceptive reasoning of the priests and
rulers He discerned the working of satanic agencies. Keen and searching had
been His denunciation of sin; but He spoke no words of retaliation. He had a
holy wrath against the prince of darkness; but He manifested no irritated
temper. So the Christian who lives in harmony with God, possessing the sweet
attributes of love and mercy, will feel a righteous [620]
indignation against sin; but he will not be roused by passion to revile those
who revile him. Even in meeting those who are moved by a power from beneath to
maintain falsehood, in Christ he will still preserve calmness and
self-possession. {DA
619.5}
Divine pity marked the countenance of the Son of God as He
cast one lingering look upon the temple and then upon His hearers. In a voice
choked by deep anguish of heart and bitter tears He exclaimed, "O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which
are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even
as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" This
is the separation struggle. In the lamentation of Christ the very heart of God
is pouring itself forth. It is the mysterious farewell of the long-suffering
love of the Deity. {DA
620.1}
Pharisees and Sadducees were alike silenced. Jesus summoned
His disciples, and prepared to leave the temple, not as one defeated and forced
from the presence of his adversaries, but as one whose work was accomplished.
He retired a victor from the contest. {DA 620.2}
The gems of truth that fell from Christ's lips on that
eventful day were treasured in many hearts. For them new thoughts started into
life, new aspirations were awakened, and a new history began. After the
crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, these persons came to the front, and
fulfilled their divine commission with a wisdom and zeal corresponding to the
greatness of the work. They bore a message that appealed to the hearts of men,
weakening the old superstitions that had long dwarfed the lives of thousands.
Before their testimony human theories and philosophies became as idle fables.
Mighty were the results flowing from the words of the Saviour to that
wondering, awestruck crowd in the temple at Jerusalem. {DA 620.3}
But Israel as a nation had divorced herself from God. The
natural branches of the olive tree were broken off. Looking for the last time
upon the interior of the temple, Jesus said with mournful pathos, "Behold,
your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me
henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the
Lord." Hitherto He had called the temple His Father's house; but now, as
the Son of God should pass out from those walls, God's presence would be
withdrawn forever from the temple built to His glory. Henceforth its ceremonies
would be meaningless, its services a mockery. {DA 620.4}
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"In the Outer Court"
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