November 24, 2024, 12:00 PM

The Scribes devoted themselves to the study and interpretation of the Mosaic Law. They wrote commentaries and were experts in its teachings and application to daily life. They encouraged others to follow the Law. They were often hired to produce written documents, especially in the interpretation of the Law. The Scribes preserved Scripture by meticulously copying and recopying the sacred writings. It is largely through their work that the Old Testament is so well preserved. So why was Jesus upset with them? The Scribes and the Pharisees came into conflict with Jesus when they charged Him or His followers with violations of the Law. Jesus said the Scribes and Pharisees often went beyond interpretation of Scripture by adding many man-made traditions to what God had said. Jesus argued that the Scribes and Pharisees dictated the letter of the Law but ignored its spirit, even making their additions more important than the Law itself (Mk 7:13). This led to many confrontations between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees. Most of the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7) contrasts what the people had been taught by the Scribes and Pharisees and what God actually wanted. Jesus also denounced them for their hypocrisy (Mt 23). They knew the Law, and they taught it to others, but they did not obey it themselves. Eventually, the Scribes and Pharisees played a large part in having Jesus arrested and crucified (cf. Mt 26:57; Mk 15:1; Lk 22:2). Like the Scribes, the Pharisees were also devoted legal experts. But most of the Pharisees were not Scribes in the professional sense, and they often depended on the work of Scribes to come to their own conclusions about the Law. Now you know!