Books Jesus Read

Chapter 5 Suffering and Spirituality – Tobit and Sarah

Background A Sunday school teacher began class with this icebreaker: “Imagine you are a journalist able to interview anyone from New Testament times in any circumstances; who would you choose, in what circumstances, and why?” The quickest replies came from those who described interviews with Jesus at various points in his earthly ministry. A more surprising response came from an elder who said, “I’d like to interview a Pharisee in his home.” “Why a Pharisee,” asked the teacher, “and why in his home?” “Obviously,” replied the man, “I want see what Jesus was so critical of, and how Pharisees really lived!” The elder’s savvy reply points to both the importance of Pharisees in the New Testament, 1 and the fact that their appearances are brief and descriptions few.

1 Pharisees are mentioned nearly one hundred times in the Gospels alone.

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