Jesus said to the Pharisee:

42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, but you bypass justice and God’s love. You ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like hidden graves, and the men who walk over them don’t know it.”

Luke 11:37-41 - World English Bible

After Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their focus on behavior over intent, he lambasted them for their lack of compassion and their self-importance. In the former, their concern for minutia blinded them to the greater vision of mercy. In the later sense, the perks leadership gave them went to their heads; they desired privilege over a concern for those in their care. So, the awful metaphor of the hidden grave was appropriate; they had no real life in them.

We must see the critique of Jesus for what it really was, a caricature. Not all Pharisees loved minutia and power over the needs of the faithful. Many became followers of Jesus. Others became the forefathers of modern Judaism. Instead, we should view the the Lord's rant not against a certain class of people but against the temptations of leadership. Leadership lies not in the details of the task but in a greater vision, not in the advantages of being the boss but in the care given to those served.

How are you a leader in your family? In your community?