By Mark Wilmoth

The modern Democratic Party had its origin in 1828, rising from the remnants of the Democratic-Republican Party. Then Senator Martin Van Buren created a coalition of state organizations into the Democratic Party and helped get Andrew Jackson elected President that year. In the 1850s, the Republican Party emerged as the anti-slavery party, and the Republicans have been the Democrat’s main political rivals ever since.

While the Democratic Party lays claim to being the oldest active political party, political rivalries have existed throughout history, often helping society forge a delicate balance between progressive and conservative viewpoints. In Bible times, the Pharisees and Sadducees were the dominant political forces in Palestine.

The Pharisees were the right-wing conservatives of that era. While many Bible scholars believe that there were only about 7000 Pharisees in Israel during Jesus’ time, their influence can be measured by the number of times they came into conflict with Jesus. The Pharisees were known for their adherence to the Old Testament Law as they interpreted it. For example, the Mosaic Law taught the people of Israel to preserve the Sabbath as a day of rest, avoiding work on that day. The Pharisees went farther, crafting rules about what constituted work and even how far citizens could walk on that day before the journey itself became “work.” The Pharisees set themselves up as the religious “judges” of the society, condemning anyone who didn’t see things their way and follow their rules. For the Pharisees, leadership was about control, making sure that change happened slowly, if at all. “This is how we’ve always done it” might have been a good slogan for the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.

The Sadducees were the First Century liberals. Since Palestine was under Roman domination, the Sadducees decided to “go along to get along.” They gave in to Roman demands and even allowed the Romans to designate Caiaphas as High Priest, though he was not legally entitled to that office under the Mosaic Law. For the sake of political expediency, the Sadducees caved in to the weirdest of current ideas in order to retain their hold on power.

An observant reader of the New Testament will note that both of these parties felt the sting of Jesus’ criticism. Jesus condemned the Pharisees because they elevated their traditions to the status of “law” and forced their rules on others while finding ways around the law for themselves. “Do as I say, not as I do” didn’t fly with Jesus; He challenged the Pharisees to practice what they preached! Our modern Congress, with its history of passing laws and exempting themselves from the statute, would likely receive the same kind of criticism from Jesus!

The Sadducees also received their share of Jesus’ criticism. For the Sadducees, this life was all there is; the Sadducees didn’t believe in a resurrection or life beyond the grave. (That helps to explain their focus on political expediency. If one will never have to answer to God for one’s actions, then retaining earthly political power by any means makes sense.) But when they made fun of the Pharisees and tested Jesus by asking about marriage in the resurrection, Jesus challenged them with a hard truth: “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 22:29, NIV). When one remembers that many of the Sadducees were priests and that one of their own (Caiaphas) was the High Priest, “you do not know the Scriptures” is a serious indictment! If the religious leaders don’t know the Bible, what use are they?

Understanding the tension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and hearing Jesus criticize both, points us toward the balance we should seek from the political leaders of our own era. Good leaders must not hold too tightly to the traditions of the past; they must be willing to adjust to changing times. On the other hand, good leaders can never be so determined to adjust and please the majority that they ignore the commandments of God Himself. One day those leaders will answer to Him for the laws they’ve made and the example they’ve set for others.

In Matthew 16:6, Jesus spoke to his disciples. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Today, Jesus might warn us against putting too much faith in either political party. Donkeys and Elephants can’t lead us to Heaven, but the Lamb can!

Mark Wilmoth is with Pinehurst Christian Church in Marietta and can be reached at Minister@PinehurstChristianChurch.org