“The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.” – Mark 3:6
It’s interesting how hatred for Jesus could unite two groups that couldn’t be more opposed to one another! The Pharisees and Herodians normally couldn’t stand each other. The Pharisees were the most religious group in ancient Israel. They were the most zealous for obeying the Law of Moses. Meanwhile, the Herodians were political creatures who loved and embraced the immorality of the Greco-Roman culture. The Pharisees despised Israel’s Roman overlords while the Herodians embraced them. For this reason, the Pharisees wouldn’t normally have anything to do with the Herodians. And yet, they found common ground in their hatred of Jesus.
They hated Jesus because He was a threat to each of them. He revealed the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and rejected immoral corruption of the Herodians. As Messiah, Jesus was a threat to the political power of the Herodians. As the fulfillment of the Law, Jesus threatened the religious power and moral authority of the Pharisees and their rule-based, superficial holiness. So they united in an unholy alliance to kill Jesus.
This should be a warning to us. If the most religious and least religious people could team up to get rid of Jesus 2000 years ago, the same can happen again. Each group thought they were good and wise to want Jesus out of the way. That can happen again. We must be cautious of any alliance between those who claim to be religious, even Christian, and those with or grasping for secular power. Perhaps that cooperation is a good thing. Or perhaps, they’re coming together in a spirit opposed to the true teaching, character, and heart of Jesus. As a follower of Jesus, be careful of not only the agenda but the character of those with whom you sympathize politically. Are they truly walking in a manner consistent with Jesus? #FollowJesus