Characteristics of Pharisee

Pharisees neglect their family responsibility in the name of religion

Jesus replied,
“And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

For God said,
‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’

But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition (Matthew 15:3-6)

The Pharisees invalidated God’s commandment to honor parents by saying that a person need not support his needy parents if he had given his money in the temple treasury box.

Let the poor father be sick and die, because his “holy” son has given his money for missionary work.
A modern-day equivalent would be something like this:

The Pharisee would say to his wife,
“I have to go to the church meeting this evening. So I cannot help you with the work at home.”

Or he could be sitting with his bible in the morning, studying the tabernacle asking God to speak to him, while his wife is struggling to get the children ready for school, preparing breakfast or lunch for the family, and looking after a crying baby.

The Lord will be trying to tell this Pharisee,
“Shut your Bible, forget about your ‘tabernacle-study’ and go help your wife in the kitchen”!

But he cannot hear God, because his Pharisaical ears have become deaf to God’s voice.

A major part of our being spiritual is to take responsibility for any work that needs to be done at home.
“If a man does not care for his family needs, he is worse than an unbeliever”
(1 Timothy 5:8)

– fwd: samuel machado