You just got to love how Jesus would take some of the Pharisee and religious leaders questions that they "hurled" at Him....and "send them packin'". He would "nail them in their own tracks" (Yea, I got the "cliche thing" goin' on today). The thing that strikes me most about how He handled their questions is...He is so genuine and real about it. I don't pick-up any revenge type statements, being retaliatory, or defensive when He "fired back" at them. It is simply Jesus being...Jesus, and I am learning to appreciate His Way of Life.
Honestly...if I were able to come up with some of the things Christ Jesus said, there is no doubt I would have threw in a little extra like: "Gotcha sucker!"...or "How does that feel?" Numerous times Jesus could have easily proclaimed: "Checkmate! It is over!" Remember Jim Carrey in the Pet Detective movies?...He would pull his arms down shouting: "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Yea, that's what I'm talkin' about! Even a simple: "Keep tellin' yourself that." response would have been appropriate in my way of thinking. Yet, fortunately, His Way of thinking and my way of thinking...we are not always on the same wave link...and let me tell ya', His Way of doing things is the way to go!
So, here we have... "a situation". The Pharisees are "hard at it", trying to follow the Law as dictated in the Torah. Beside the fact the Ancient Scriptures were to be followed with utmost detail, the Pharisees and legal religious leaders of the time had "threw in" a whole bunch of extra stuff...like moral obligations, ceremonial rituals, and dietary prescriptions; anything to "look good"....well, on the "outside" anyway. In Matthew 22..."guess who's coming to dinner"...those Pharisees...at it again...they feel confident they will "nail this so-called Rabbi" this time! This time...He will "go down!"
Gleaning from Matthew 22:34-40
" After the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, making them appear almost foolish because of their own words, they thought; "Let's go after Him now...maybe He is a little worn from the Sadducee's questions."
So, the Pharisees brought their "loaded gun", the "Expert", on Jewish law. There were 613 Laws in the Torah by this time, and the Pharisees were determined to know all of them and try to follow as many as they could...to look good and let others know they "have it all together."
The "Expert" approached Jesus, and challenged Him! He said: "Teacher, of all the Laws that are written and needed to follow, how do you know which one is the most important? Certainly God is interested in knowing we are following all 613 right?...Tell us, how do you keep all these laws, and what do you think are the most important ones?"
Jesus answered: " Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 6:5). This is the first and greatest of all the Commandments (He didn't really use the word "Law"). A 2nd commandment, which is equally important and similar to the first is : " Love others as much as you love yourself. (Leviticus 19:18) The entire Law and all the Commandments hinge on these 2. In other words, obey these 2 Commandments, and you got all the others taken care of."
Now, Jesus turns to the Pharisees and says: "Wait, before you run off, I have a question for you...." ( I bet the "Expert" and his buddies were "starting to feel a little heat...right?"
So, here we have... "a situation". The Pharisees are "hard at it", trying to follow the Law as dictated in the Torah. Beside the fact the Ancient Scriptures were to be followed with utmost detail, the Pharisees and legal religious leaders of the time had "threw in" a whole bunch of extra stuff...like moral obligations, ceremonial rituals, and dietary prescriptions; anything to "look good"....well, on the "outside" anyway. In Matthew 22..."guess who's coming to dinner"...those Pharisees...at it again...they feel confident they will "nail this so-called Rabbi" this time! This time...He will "go down!"
Gleaning from Matthew 22:34-40
" After the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, making them appear almost foolish because of their own words, they thought; "Let's go after Him now...maybe He is a little worn from the Sadducee's questions."
So, the Pharisees brought their "loaded gun", the "Expert", on Jewish law. There were 613 Laws in the Torah by this time, and the Pharisees were determined to know all of them and try to follow as many as they could...to look good and let others know they "have it all together."
The "Expert" approached Jesus, and challenged Him! He said: "Teacher, of all the Laws that are written and needed to follow, how do you know which one is the most important? Certainly God is interested in knowing we are following all 613 right?...Tell us, how do you keep all these laws, and what do you think are the most important ones?"
Now, Jesus turns to the Pharisees and says: "Wait, before you run off, I have a question for you...." ( I bet the "Expert" and his buddies were "starting to feel a little heat...right?"
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