Matthew 16:5

“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

As I understand it the Pharisees believed in miracles, in heaven and hell, in all the Scriptures and in the reality of the supernatural, etc.  They also believed that if you really want to please God you should obey the law of Moses and its application in every area of life. They believed in the accuracy and dependability of all Scriptures, whether historical, liturgical or practical. The goal of live is to live holy lives as taught by the fathers.

The Sadducees, on the other hand, did not believe in the supernatural so miracles and life after death were impossible. They believed that much of the Scripture is parabolic, even some of the supposedly historical texts, and should not be taken literally. They loved the Jewish rituals. They did not believe, however, that non-Jews could grasp the meaning of these ancient rituals.

In common theological terms, the Pharisees represented the right and the Sadducees represented the left. In light of this, I am amazed that they could join together to try to put Jesus to death.  Obviously Jesus is neither right nor left, but always faithful to his Father.  This marked the way he thought, lived, died and rose again. As should we.

I need this grand perspective myself.