When Pharisees (those who pledged to resist foreign influence) work together with Herodians (supporters of the reigning Idumean non-Jewish kings), something is badly wrong. With opposite political views on government, surely Jesus would offend one of them; so they cooperated against a common enemy. Jesus saw through it and answered a political question with a political answer. When Sadducees ask resurrection details though everyone knows they do not believe in the resurrection, something is wrong. Jesus answered them by going to the only portion of the Bible they accepted (the Torah). He then added "you are badly mistaken". Ouch!
Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees and the church today -- that's an odd combination. Yet we all share the common characteristic of trying to squeeze God into our worldview boxes. "Surely God holds my political views," said the Pharisees and Herodians (and the Republicans and the Democrats and the Libertarians and . . . "Surely God understands scripture the way I do," said the Catholics and the
Protestants and the Anglicans and . . .
It truly troubles me to think of how many times I have sounded like a Pharisee, Sadducee or Herodian in my opinions, worldviews and advice to others. May God have mercy on my feeble understandings and my efforts to instruct others.
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