K124. Why was Jesus a friend of the sinners; but an enemy of the Pharisees?

Was it because the sinners did not obey the law; but the Pharisees keep the law? Was it because the sinners did not keep the Ten Commandments; but the Pharisees did and teach the Ten Commandments? Will the presence of the law or absence of it determine who is the friend of Jesus and who is not? Or will that determine who is the hypocrite and who is not? No, don't be deceived.

A. The Pharisees were religious hypocrites because they knew how to justify themselves hypocritically
They could do it hypocritically with or without the law; they could also do it with or without lawlessness too. Hence, a religious hypocrite will not only use the law to justify himself; he will use God's name, God's words, God's commands, God's love, God's gifts, God's grace, holy communion, miracles, prosperity, baptism of the Holy Spirit, tongues, the laying of hands, his testimonies, his visions, his dreams, his chime, his cat, his videos, his faith, .. and even hyper grace (or lawlessness), to justify himself. A religious hypocrites can use anything to deceive the people. However, if he used faith or God's principles to enrich himself, do we conclude that all principles are hypocritical principles? No. Neither do we reject grace just because someone has abused grace too.
The devil had used the bread to tempt Jesus, do we therefore say that all the bread is the curse of Satan? No, neither do we conclude that the revelation, the fruit, or the tree of the knowledge of the good and evil is evil just because Adam and Eve were tempted by it. Of course, don't be a fool to conclude that, therefore, any fruit, any knowledge, or any word (principle, doctrine, command, and law) to discern the good and evil today is of the tree of curses.
Heb 5:13-14 KJV  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness*: for he is a babe.  (14)  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Please be honest if you are a father, Do you teach your children to discern between good and evil? Or do you just tell them to give away their brains? Do you tell all who need our advice to just think of a 'Jesus' or 'the Word' who has no more law or command for them to do anything? However, we would be as blind as the Pharisees if we blame all the laws, commands, principles, and knowledge of God in both the Old and New Covenants as the main culprit of our fall or our sin problem just because the Pharisees had used the law to live their hypocritical lives too. The Pharisees were not the only people who were lawless in God's eyes; the 'brainless' could be the 'lawless' too.
The Pharisees were rejected by Jesus not because they kept the law or obeyed the Ten Commandments. They were rejected because they were hypocrites when they chose lawlessness which is the 'fruit' of departing from God or God's laws. Jesus warned His disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and the false prophets: it was not the leaven of God's laws; it was the leaven of hypocrisy, lawlessness, and hatred against God's laws and prophets :
Mat 7:15-23 KJV  Beware of false prophets .. (16) Ye shall know them by their fruits ..  (17)  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18)  A good tree .. (20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.  (21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter .. (Jesus has said it so clearly. Are we made good or evil by eating the fruit from the tree (of the law or the knowledge of good and evil) ? No, it is by what that is inside us which causes us to rebel, eat, or bring forth the evil 'fruit'; not the fruit itself) 
Mat 23:28-30 KJV  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.  (29)  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,  (30)  And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Mat 23:28 LITV  So you also indeed outwardly appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Luk 12:1-2 KJV  In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.  (2)  For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
The Pharisees seemed to have high regard for the law of God, but they were lawless in their hearts. They oppressed the weak and the widows. Their worst sin was using the law or the blood sacrifice to justify themselves for any sins which they would do against their fellow neighbours. They did not love God or their neighbours, yet they preached as though they were the holiest people on earth. They abused the law of Moses which was given to them:
Heb 10:26-29 KJV  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  (27)  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.  (28)  He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:  (29)  Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
Now, please think, If the Pharisees were to live in our generation (after the law of Christ or grace is given to us), will they use grace instead, to justify themselves? Many will say, "No, it is impossible because the Pharisees would never believe in grace, and hence, there would not be anyone abusing grace." I will tell them, Are you sure? Please read Heb 10:26-29 above again. There are no more Pharisees today, but there are still many religious people. Are you sure that none of them will do like the Pharisees and use grace or the blood of Jesus to justify themselves for any hidden sin which they would do against their fellow brethren, preach against their fellow brethren, or falsely accuse their brethren?
Today many preachers say that they can preach grace (with no more law or repentance) as though it is license to sin until everyone misunderstood them and that this is the gospel of grace that Paul preached. I will tell them, No, please read your Bible again. Paul did not say that He preached until everyone MISUNDERSTOOD him. You added the words to justify yourselves. Please think, How could anyone have MISUNDERSTOOD Paul when he confirmed or double-confirmed with Heb 10:26-29 and the following Bible verses that we should never preach it as a license to sin or as though it is a license to sin?
Rom 6:1-15 KJV What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  (3)  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? .. ..  (15) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
What does it mean? It means that a believer who knows the words of Jesus and Paul would know that they should NEVER sin and they would NEVER have MISUNDERSTOOD them (because GOD FORBID twice or said it twice). Only the unrepentant sinners, the hypocrites, and the Pharisees would have MISUNDERSTOOD it or choose to have MISUNDERSTOOD Paul or Jesus (so that they could accuse them and stir up false accusation against them).

B. The sinners were not religious hypocrites
The reason why Jesus loved the sinners more was not because the sinners sinned more than the Pharisees. It was because the sinners were not like the Pharisees or the religious hypocrites who tried to justify themselves with their religious justification, lawlessness gimmicks, or false obedience to God; the sinners were not ashamed to confess their sins. Most of the sinners who followed and listened to Jesus were the sinners who knew that they were sinners, that they must repent, and that they needed Jesus. However, not all the sinners became the friends of Jesus. Some of them realized that they could not follow Jesus because they could not repent and accept all the doctrine and commandments of Jesus:
Joh 6:59-66 KJV  These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.  (60)  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?  ..  (64) .. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.  (65)  And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.  (66)  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Today can we preach 'hyper grace' and conclude that Jesus is a friend to all kinds of sinners whether they will turn away from their sins or not? I don't think so. When Jesus commented and said that Zacchaeus did the right thing, He showed that every sinner who comes to Him must repent and turn away from their sins too:
Luk 19:8-9 KJV  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.  (9)  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
Most hyper grace preachers, if not all, will insist and say, "Jesus will never leave you even if you sin; no matter how you sin. It's because He will still love you even if you are sinning in the midst of your sins. It is unthinkable to have a Jesus who will love you at one moment when you do right, but at the next moment when you sin or do wrong, He will hate you, condemn you, and judge you .." I will tell them, Yes, you are right, but only partially. Yes, Jesus loves everyone. He loves all the sinners even if they are still in the midst of sinning or doing wicked things. But you would be certainly wrong (and 'speechlessly' shocked one day Mat 22:12) if you think that you and all your sinners ('believers') can sin forever and that Jesus will never leave you no matter how you sin. Do you remember what you have read in Heb 10:26-29? It shows that the 'Jesus' that you preached contradicts the Jesus that Paul preached. Paul said that if the Jews or the Pharisees abused the blood sacrifice which was God's provision in the Old Covenant, how much sorer punishment will you get if you or we would sin wilfully, abuse grace, or lie about the blood of Jesus under the New Covenant? Do you know why Paul said, "If we sin wilfully" and not "if you sin wilfully" or "If they sin wilfully"? It is because Paul said deliberately to warn us, the believers, that there is the possibility if we sin wilfully and the possibility of a 'sorer judgement' for those who are in the blood covenant.

Is there judgement for the believers who think that they can sin in anyway they like?
Rev 3:17-19 KJV  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  (18)  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  (19)  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 2:21-23 KJV  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.  (22)  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.  (23)  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Mat 22:12-14 KJV  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.  (13)  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  (14)  For many are called, but few are chosen.
Mat 18:32-34 KJV  Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:  (33)  Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?  (34)  And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Luk 16:27-31 KJV  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:  (28)  For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.  (29)  Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.  (30)  And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  (31)  And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

How do we repent or turn to God?
I will ask the hyper grace preachers, Are all the Bible verses above written to the sinners or the believers? I believe that these Bible verses were written for us. I will ask them, Do you think that they sound condemning? Are you tempted to preach them as obsolete, to ignore them, or to remove them from your Bible? If you think so and have tried to do so, can you still be a friend of Jesus. You may think that you are a sinner and a friend of Jesus, but you are like the sinners who had departed from His words, His doctrine, His teaching, His commandments .. and His 'hard sayings':
Joh 6:59-66 KJV  These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.  (60)  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?  ..  (64) .. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him ..
I remember your definition of repentance when you said, "Repentance is not turning away from sins or doing good; repentance is changing your mind from unbelieving in God to believing in God. We do not preach repentance from sins; but repentance towards God as Paul preached:Act 20:21 KJV  Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
I will ask, Did you read your Bible? Did you read what Paul said in Act 26:20 KJV  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, AND DO works meet for repentance.
Yes, you may define your repentance as just turning or repenting toward God. Did you explain how do you turn to God? Is it just turning from the thinking of God in the old way to a new way? No. Jesus may not always preach the word 'repent' to call sinners to repentance or to tell them to repent toward God; but His parables explained it clearly. For example, the prodigal son repented and turned to his father. Did Jesus explained how did he repent and turn to the father? He stopped sinning. Zacchaeus was commented and given the assurance of salvation by Jesus, but did he repent? Yes, Zacchaeus turned to God by stop cheating the people and doing good. How about the woman caught in the adultery? She was asked to sin no more (Joh 5:14). In another Bible passage, Jesus healed a man; but He asked him to sin no more too:
Joh 5:14 KJV  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
I will ask them, If you agree that you must still repent and turn to God, don't you agree that you would still obey Jesus and sin no more too? You say that you obey Him, but what's the point if you do not know or obey any command from Him?

::