The Lawful Pharisees

As I mentioned in my post, The Pharisees, they only see the Law.  They follow the Letter of the Law, but they do not have the Spirit of the Law.  Having no spirit, the Pharisees become blind.  For example, they accuse Jesus of breaking the Law because He healed on the Sabbath Day.  They were blind to the miracles performed by Christ.  

In the same way, those who are against the Way are also blind.  There are miracles being done in the Way, but they dismiss it as human "good works."  To produce large numbers of priests are not human good works.  These are the calling of God.  For someone to give up having a family and a homeland and enjoy doing so is not viewed as "human good works".  Why?  Because this is something that only a few men can do.  To make this kind of sacrifice can only come from the Holy Spirit.  Family missionaries who rejoice as they leave everything behind and emigrate to foreign lands to evangelize can only come from the Holy Spirit because only a few people can do this.  Most people would not leave the securities of their job and the comfort of their home to evangelize in foreign lands.         

Because the Pharisees love the Letter of the Law so much, they were blind to all of Christ's miracles.  They could not see the Holy Spirit at work.  

Mark 3:22-29  And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, "He is possessed by Beelzebul!  By the prince of demons he is driving out demons."  So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables.  "How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.  In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house without first tying him up.  Then he can plunder the strong man's house.  Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, they are guilty of an eternal sin."