The Sadducees and the Pharisees were the two primary religious sects during Jesus’ ministry. Despite their relatively small numbers, perhaps fewer than 50,000, they wielded considerable influence. Both sects upheld monotheism and recognized God’s supreme authority but diverged on a lot of other things one of which was the medium of God’s laws: the Pharisees valued oral traditions and Mosaic law interpretations, whilst the Sadducees adhered strictly to written laws.

The Sadducees were elitist, aligning with the Sanhedrin and Romans to maintain political influence. In contrast, the Pharisees, typically blue-collar Jews, focused on reaching the masses, interpreting Mosaic law to address contemporary social issues. To ordinary Jews and Gentiles, these sects appeared as divine law’s oracles and God’s representatives, active in society and vocal in public squares.

They also maintained a distinct appearance, favouring titles and matching attire to ensure their recognition and reverence.

John the Baptist called them a “brood of vipers,” a sharp rebuke that likely incensed them. I’m sure they would have looked around to see who heard the Baptizer but John surely would not have been quiet. His refusal to honour them as esteemed guests would have raised some dust around their authority and their role.

In Matthew 16 we see Jesus warning His disciples against the “leaven of the Pharisees”. He repeats the same thing in Luke 12, but this time to an innumerable multitude of people and so that the meaning of leaven is not misconstrued like the disciples did, He equated it to hypocrisy. This critique challenged their self-image as God’s representatives.

Both John and Jesus, “young and trendy ministers” with one acclaimed to be the Messiah, directly opposing the sects’ influence would have been the talk of the town.

Despite apparent similarities between the sects’ mandates and the Great Commission, Jesus highlighted a crucial difference; while the Pharisees and Sadducees went into the world and made disciples just like we are also supposed to, their approach and impact were significantly flawed. Jesus described them as leaven — an agent that alters everything but itself but emphasized that believers should be like salt, retaining their savour to positively influence others. The salt by itself is sweet and from that sweetness, sweetens everything else. The first recipient of the quickening Spirit we carry is ourselves.

Hypocrisy is having show-tell signs of godliness — ability to look the part and talk the part but denying its power. This power isn’t merely the ability to perform miracles but the power of change to transform our hearts, our minds and our souls. True godliness changes the inner person first, not just outward appearances or behaviours. The first testifier to the power of godliness is its host.

It can be tempting to begin with the spirit and, over time, seek to achieve perfection through mere outward actions. Many find themselves deriving satisfaction from external observances and hollow rituals, neglecting the essence of true piety.

In Matthew 23, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees is starkly highlighted as Jesus rebukes their actions, making it clear that His kingdom does not stand for such pretence. As believers, the Holy Spirit continually guides us, redirecting us towards the true principles of the kingdom. I would like to share some of these guiding principles with you:

1. Avoid Quick Judgments: Many of the labels in the Gospels were assigned by the Pharisees. Remember that every child of God is undergoing a process of transformation. Align yourself with their journey rather than condemning it.

2. Prioritize Ministry Over Titles: Do not let the allure of titles overshadow your true work of ministry.

3. Embrace the Spirit of Jesus: Do not resist the workings of the Spirit of Jesus just because they differ from your expectations.

4. Be Teachable: Cultivate a greater willingness to learn rather than to always teach.

5. Stay Grounded and Relatable: Do not become detached or aloof; instead, remain grounded and approachable.

6. Humble Yourself to Elevate Others: Be willing to stoop low to uplift others. Do not fear contamination; the Spirit of Christ within you transforms the world, and is not contaminated by it

7. Involve Yourself in Reconciliation: Do not leave yourself behind in the work of reconciliation.

8. Cultivate Compassion: Open your heart to genuine compassion.

9. Emulate the Prophets: Do not merely praise the prophets of old; strive to emulate their works.

We must continually yield to the Holy Spirit to continually lead us into the depths of true spirituality where we compassionately encourage and nudge the world to remove the spec in their eyes by showing them the heaps of log we have removed from ours.

Have a blessed and productive week

For God’s glory and His renown,

Olayinka Adebayo

Instagram / X (Twitter): @layinkadebayo