Matthew 23:23
Ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.
Bible Context
The Pharisees & Sadducees
Who they actually were, and why Jesus confronted them so often
Introduction
Who were the Pharisees and Sadducees, and why did Jesus confront them so often? It's easy to flatten them into cartoon villains — the people who always disagreed with Jesus — but they were two distinct, respected religious parties with real influence, genuine convictions, and sharp disagreements with each other, not just with him.
The Pharisees believed in resurrection, angels, and the full authority of oral tradition alongside Scripture. The Sadducees rejected all three, controlled the temple priesthood, and held most of the formal political power. Jesus confronted both, for different reasons.
This isn't a study in 'who the bad guys were.' It's a study in what happens when devotion to God curdles into something else — a warning Jesus gave to people who took their faith seriously, which makes it worth taking seriously yourself.
Scripture
Matthew 22:23
The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection.
Matthew 5:20
Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Translation note: Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV). The King James Version is in the public domain.
Key insights
- The two groups disagreed sharply with each other too
- Pharisees believed in resurrection; Sadducees rejected it
- Sadducees held temple power; Pharisees held public influence
- Jesus targeted detail without mercy, not devotion itself
Related resources
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