"When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, 'By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?'" (Matthew 21:23 NASB).

The church in America today is filled with good Pharisees. Just as in Jesus' day, they choke the life out of the church. I've encountered them all my life.

Genuine Pharisees are not true believers, although they are often camouflaged by Christian wording and activity. They are the Enemy's "tares sown among the wheat" to wreak havoc and impede progress. Although they look and sound religious and are usually busy at religious activity, they are devoid of Christ's life, and there's a reason: Control.

The Divine Interruption

The Pharisees hated Jesus so much that they eventually brought about His death. One primary reason they despised this Carpenter from Galilee was that He challenged their authority.

They had been in charge and were clearly recognized as the religious establishment's leaders. They were looked up to and feared; what they said was the law. They headed every committee, set the agenda, ran the religious institution ... and loved having power.

Then came Jesus. Simple, pure, filled with God, He would not defer to their silly regulations, legalistic jargon, or false religion. Connected to the Father, He listened to and obeyed God, ousting the Pharisees and their empty religion. His life emanated the precious fragrance of relationship with the Father, and the contrast made people realize that the Pharisees' empty rituals smelled like death.

The Ultimate Agenda

The real issue was control. "Who gave You this authority?" was their harsh question. A person who had humbly bowed to God's control would have recognized Christ and rejoiced in His authority over the world, the flesh, and the devil. But Christ's authority usurped theirs and infuriated them. They wanted to be in charge.

This is always the issue with unbelievers. They may loudly proclaim their loyalty to Christ, but anyone not surrendered (although imperfectly) to Christ's lordship is not a true follower of Christ.

The parables that followed in Matthew 21 illustrated this further. Jesus told of two brothers charged by their father to work in the fields. One said he wouldn't, but did; another said he would, but didn't (vv. 28-32). Jesus' evaluation of true Christianity is found in a simple question: "Who did the will of the father?"

Modern-day Pharisees boast of their spirituality, but when a real moment of doing God's will is called for, they are not present. A prayer meeting, a worship service, a moment of decision making, or humble service where God descends is uncomfortable because Someone else has taken over.

While business meetings are never missed, God meetings are avoided. Generally, the Pharisees band together outside and trump up some silly reason to marginalize or usurp the leaders. They may couch this in spiritual words ...

• "I don't know what it is, but the pastor just isn't feeding us anymore."
• "We've never really done it this way before!"
• "All he does is just preach about reaching the lost. What about us?"

Don't be fooled. This is nothing less than a vicious, deadly play for continued control.

Jesus' final parable in this passage illustrates the depth of their convictions. The parable of the vineyard owner who sent his slaves and then his son to collect the profit of the vineyard was clearly stated to expose the Pharisees' motivation and determination. The tenants beat the slaves and killed the son—prophetic of what these very Pharisees would do to Jesus.

Why? Control. They wanted to run the vineyard and enjoy the proceeds while never bending to the owner's authority. They felt the sheer amount of their time in the fields had granted them rights to the fields.

The Conflict in Our Churches

I've seen a lot of pastors and Christian leaders killed by Pharisees. I'm not justifying stupid decisions or impure motivations (we pastors have our share of sins), but I have witnessed the crucifixion of too many good, godly pastors. Consider the following:

• How many churches have been choked to death by the unwillingness of a few strong, opposing leaders?
• How much kingdom work has been strangled by their legalism?
• How many people have never heard the gospel because a church's voice was stifled by some dead, controlling church members?
• How many God-initiated plans have been thwarted by the strong hand of pharisaical domination?

Can you see why Jesus spoke so loudly and often about this danger? He knew we needed to know what was really happening. He confronted, exposed, and refused to yield to the Pharisees' control. When God told Him to eat with tax gatherers and sinners, redeem prostitutes, and heal men on the Sabbath, He relentlessly obeyed, with no fear of the consequences.

The Need for Courageous Leadership

Godly men must do the same, although it will cause confrontation—you are never more dangerous to a Pharisee than when you challenge his authority. But you must not surrender to unsurrendered men.

"They're not going to like this, and it will cause trouble" never affected Christ. The trouble caused by bending to Pharisees and suffocating kingdom work is a fate worse than pharisaical conflict. If you defer to them, they are leading the church, whether you realize it or not.

It may cost you personally as well. You may be crucified, but like Christ, you will rise again. In fact, Jesus' prediction about Pharisees always comes true: "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust" (vv. 43-44).

True, fruit-producing followers of Christ, made so by their voluntary surrender to Christ's control, will inherit the kingdom. They will receive opportunity and authority in the end, for their Father trusts them to lead under His direction.

Controllers, however, will always be broken beyond remedy. Like dead trees, their limbs are rigid and fragile, hollow and fruitless. They will degenerate into dust—a tragic end to an unbended life.