550th Post Jesus Said Concerning Parables Con't. Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector Con't. - Luke 18: 10 - 14 Con't. - 2nd Post.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector - Luke 18: 10 - 14 Continued 2nd Post.
Another difference between the Pharisees and the common people is in regards to how they viewed the Scriptures.  The Pharisees felt that since they studied God's Law, and taught others how to live by it, they were above the Law, and did not sin.  According to the Scriptures (God's Word), all men are sinful because of the sin Adam brought into the world, and the wages of that sin is death.  This is proved in the fact that all men will die, unless they are part of the last generation spoken of in the Scriptures (God's Word) that won't see death.  This helps to explain the disconnect between the Pharisees and God.  Jesus was calling the people to come closer to God.  The Pharisees were bogged down with the traditions given in Leviticus that told them to do these and when.  The problem is the people forgot why they were doing the traditions, and did them according to their own understanding.  This same thing can happen to us in our Christian Churches even today.  The answer is not throwing out all the traditions, but teaching the reasons God wants us to do them.  By doing what was done in the past, you connect with other generations of believer's.  This way you remember the past and won't make the same mistakes in the future.  I have run out of space again and will continue next post.