“Don’t go there. Don’t touch this. Don’t do that.” The Pharisees were first century followers of the religious rules and called others to do the same. Actually, they didn’t just follow the rules; they invented them. Their whole lives revolved around religion, performance, commandments, and obedience. You would think that Jesus and the Pharisees would be best of friends. They weren’t.

In fact, they looked more like enemies than friends. As you read through the Bible, you can’t help but notice that Jesus and these religious leaders were always at each other’s throats. Jesus saw them for who they were – men who knew the law but failed to love God. He was wise to their charade and exposed it whenever he could. His tone is fierce. Jesus cuts into these moral, religious men longing for them to abandon their religion and come to him in repentance and faith.

He asks the same from us. Christianity is not about being religious. Christianity is about being repentant – to be a people that hate religion but love Jesus.