Jesus and the Pharisees
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brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath
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seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen?” Thus Christ
taught that the last six commandments are like unto the first. The two
commandments which he indicated are two great principles springing
from one root. The first cannot be kept and the second broken, nor the
second kept while the first is broken.
The scribe was well read in the law, and he was astonished at the
answer of Jesus; for he had not expected to find him possessed of so
deep and thorough a knowledge of the Scriptures as was indicated by
his answer. The learned lawyer was much impressed by the wisdom
of the youthful Galilean; and before the assembled priests and rulers
he honestly acknowledged that Jesus had given the right interpretation
of the law. This scribe had received a deeper and broader view of
the principles underlying the sacred precepts than he had ever before
possessed, and he responded to the words of Jesus with unfeigned
earnestness:—
“Well, Master, thou hast said the truth; for there is one God; and
there is none other but he. And to love him with all the heart, and with
all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength,
and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt-
offerings and sacrifices.” Here was a Pharisee who had some idea of
what constitutes true religion; that it is not in outward ceremonies
and vain display, but in humble obedience and love to God, and un-
selfish regard for others. The readiness of the scribe to acknowledge
the reasoning of Jesus as correct, the decided and prompt response
to that reasoning which he made before the people, manifested an
entirely different spirit from that shown by the priests and rulers in
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their questioning.
The wisdom of the Saviour’s answers convicted the scribe. He
knew that the Jewish religion consisted more in outward acts than
inward piety. He had some sense of the unworthiness of merely cere-
monial offerings, and the continual flowing of blood in expiation of
sin, while the object of the offering was foreign from the mind. The
principles of love and true goodness of heart appeared to him of more
value in the sight of God than all these rites. The heart of Jesus went
out in pity to the honest scribe who dared to face the frowns of the
priests and threats of the rulers, and speak the honest convictions of
his heart. “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said