What if Jesus hurt your feelings? Jesus did have some very harsh things to say to some people. Almost exclusively they were said to the religious leaders of the day. These men thought they knew it all. They had reduced their belief in God to a formula. Do X and then Y will happen. Follow the law to the letter and then you will be right in God's eyes.
Liars and Fools
What did Jesus say to them? He called them liars, fools, blind, hypocrites and even told them their father was the devil. Why would our loving Savior speak so harshly to these people? Because they had taken worship and turned it into something not of the heart. Their obedience was superficial. Jesus said they didn't practice what they preached (Matthew 23:3) and that they neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
The Pharisees were very influential among the common people. They placed their oral traditions as equal to the words of God in the Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament). In essence they were adding things to God's word.
Not all Pharisees were opposed to Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, as was Paul. Paul recognized that true righteousness could only be accomplished through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. In Galatians 3:11, Paul states that no righteousness can be found in obedience to the law. Faith in Christ was the only way.
The Pharisees prided themselves on their knowledge of the laws of Moses and their oral traditions. They approached God as if He were a prize to be won through hard work and dedication. Today when we call someone a Pharisee it means that they are self righteous and hypocritical.
They Bind Heavy Burdens
Speaking of the Pharisees, Jesus said this,
"For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men." Matthew 23:4-5(a)
Rest For Our Souls
Contrast this to what Jesus says of Himself in Matthew 11: 28-30,
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Our Relationship To God
When we look at our relationship to God what do we see? Do we see a person who does good things only so others will see and be impressed? Do make faith in God burdensome, a list of "no's" to be followed to the letter? Do we pride ourselves on how good we are? Do we , deep down, devalue the sacrifice of Christ on the cross because we just don't think we're really "that bad"?
The Pharisees were teaching that: actions, not faith; that deeds, not love; and that rules, not mercy, were all that was required to be in right relationship with God. Jesus upended their teaching. The most important rule Jesus told them was to love God and love others. When we truly do this that is when we we can learn from our Savior. That is when we can find rest for our souls. That is when the good that we do will be real.
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