thood; nor against an improper
ritual or wrong doctrine of sacrifices. In fact, it did not turn on any of
the issues which were of such importance to the Church in later times. He
criticized the most earnest religious men of his day because their
religion harmed men instead of helping them. It was unsocial, or
anti-social.

The Old Testament prophets also were in opposition to the priestly system
of their time because it used up the religious interest of the people in
ceremonial performances without ethical outcome. It diverted spiritual
energy, by substituting lower religious requirements for the one
fundamental thing which God required--righteousness in social and political
life. They insisted over and over that Jehovah wants righteousness and
wants nothing else. Their aim was to make religion and ethics one and
inseparable. They struck for the social efficiency of religion.

At the time of Jesus the Jewish sacrifices had lost much of their
religious importance. During the Exile they had lapsed. They were
professional performances of one class. The numerous Jews scattered in
other countries perhaps saw the temple once in a lifetime. Modern feeling
in the first century was against bloody sacrifices. The recorded sayings
of Jesus hardly mention them. On the other hand the daily life of the
people was pervaded by little prescribed religious actions. The Sabbath
with its ritual was punctiliously observed.(3) There were frequent days of
fasting, religious ablutions and baths, long prayers to be recited several
times daily, with prayer straps around the arm and forehead, and a
tasseled cloth over the head. The exact performance of these things seemed
an essential part of religion to the most earnest men.

We have seen how Jesus collided with these religious requirements and on
what grounds. If men were deeply concerned about the taboo food that went
into their bodies, they would not be concerned about the evil thoughts
that arose in their souls. If they were taught to focus on petty duties,
such as tithing, the great ethical principles and obligations moved to the
outer field of vision and became blurred. The Sabbath, which had
originated in merciful purpose toward the poor, had been turned into
another burden. Religion, which ought to bring good men into saving
contact with the wayward by love, actually resulted in separating the two
by a chasm of religious pride and censoriousness. A man-made and
artificial religious pe