Polar Opposites: Part 2 >> Jesus and Religious Leaders are polar opposites.

This is a four-part blog post on common misunderstandings about Jesus. The claim of the author of this blog as is that religion and things done in the name of  religion are polar opposites to Jesus and His teachings. In Part 1: Jesus and Religion are polar opposites, two misunderstandings on the establishment of religion were looked at in the light of Jesus' own words. This is Part  2: Jesus and Religious Leaders are polar opposites.

Misunderstanding 3. Jesus praises religious leaders, priests, religious law teachers, people who are regarded by themselves and others as staunchly or strictly religious.  FALSE. 

On religious leaders, teachers of religious law and the adherents of the strictest religious sect, what Jesus said includes referring to this group of people as hypocrites 15 times, as spiritually blind 6 times, to beware of them 3 times, snakes 1 time, vipers 4 times, devil’s children 1 time. His words were tough but truthful because He expected more from those who had made a profession out of  scripture, had spent their life learning scripture and were supposedly the religious leaders and teachers -- but they were failing miserably. Now one might say, if religious scholars who spent a lifetime on the subject could not understand it or follow it then what hope is there for the common people? Herein lies the mystery and the splendor of God's Word. Anyone who wants to really seek will understand the Word of God because when one is true in their desire to seek then irrespective of their or background, God makes His Word clear and plain. Einstein said,  "genius is simple". The Word of God is simply genius and makes wise the simple but confounds those who are wise in their own eyes. It is human to create complicated and complex religious concepts but God's Way is simple yet profound.
Jesus spoke with wisdom that was irrefutable, taught simply to help common people understand God's love and always told them to return back to God. He performed healing miracles among them as proof that He was who He claimed to be. This should have given them pause to think but instead they mocked him and tried to trap him in religious debates. They were jealous that a common man (not learned scholar of religion like they were) spoke with so much wisdom and authority and that the common people both understood it and followed Him. What would happen to their cozy jobs and their authority if teachings about God were so simple that common people and little children could understand them directly? His words, wisdom and explanation of scriptures alone should have given religious teachers and leaders enough evidence to stop and think. Instead they resisted him and wanted him silenced because their authority and power were threatened. They did not want their convenient religion disturbed. They preferred comfort to truth and cultural practices to true desire for God. Therefore, Jesus used very direct words to show them the difference between the religion they had made for themselves versus what it really means to be spiritual.

Here are the accusations Jesus made about religious leaders, teachers of religious law and about a strict religious group and rabbis in 30-33 A.D:

• Jesus said "our righteousness must surpass that of the religious teachers”. He implied that the standard set by religious leaders and teachers was not only inadequate but incorrect, it was not what God wanted. (Matthew 5:20)
• Jesus accused them of “letting go the commands of God” or “nullifying the word of God” “for the sake of man-made tradition”. (Matthew 15:6, Mark 7)
• Jesus said, “their teachings are mere rules made by men”, “they honor God with their lips but their hearts are far away” (Matthew 15:7-9)
• Jesus said “beware of the yeast of the religious law teachers” meaning beware of their teaching as like yeast it puffs up into something huge but is further away from God’ truth. (Matthew 16:6, Mark 8:4, Luke 12:1)
• Jesus told us to respect them but to “not do what they do” because He accused them of “not practicing what they preach”. (Matthew 23:3)
• Jesus accused them of “tying heavy loads on men’s shoulders but not willing to lift a finger to ease”. (Matthew 23:4)
• He said that they only do religious things for show and glorifying themselves: for “people to see”, at religions gatherings they “love places of honor”, “want the most important seats” , they “love to be greeted as Teacher” , “love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces”, “wear flowing robes”, “long tassels on garments”, “give to the needy, and announce it with trumpets, in the religious assemblies and on the streets”,  “love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others”, they “look somber when they are fasting to show others they are fasting”, when they pray they “keep on babbling for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” (Matthew 23:5-7), (Mark 12:38-40), (Luke 20:46-47), (Matthew 6)
• He accused them of “shutting the Kingdom of Heaven in the faces of men” and that “they do not enter nor do they let those who are trying to” (Matthew 23:6)
• He said they are “clean outside and full of greed and self-indulgence inside” and compared them to “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:25-28)
• He also said that since they “claim to see, their guilt will remain”. He was implying that they have developed spiritual pride due to their tradition, rules and religious execution and believe they "see" and so they will be without excuse before God, whereas those that are humble and acknowledge they are spiritually poor will truly "see" God.  (John 9:41)
• He said they were more obsessed about “ritualistic washing, cleaning rituals” (Mark 7)
• Jesus said they are self-righteous and not self-aware and as such their kind of prayers are not acceptable to God (Luke 18:9-14)

Although these refer to the contemporaries of Jesus, this is exactly how the religions leaders in the 15th century also behaved when they burned William Tyndale at the stake for translating the Latin and Greek bible into common English. These religious leaders, such as popes, bishops and the like wanted to be the sole authority on the word of God and in the process deprived common people who were illiterate in Greek and Latin of drawing close to God by directly reading scripture. In doing so they fulfilled at least one of Jesus' accusations that of "shutting the Kingdom of Heaven in the faces of men” and that “they do not enter nor do they let those who are trying to.”

Consider these words and draw your own conclusions on whether Jesus agreed to established religion or ever advised to setup systems and hierarchies. Jesus was God in human format who came to make God (Himself) accessible.  Religion is of man, by man and for man - for human priests and kings to expand their own kingdoms, power and pockets. Religion makes God inaccessible.