The scribes and Pharisees ascribed to the "oral law" which is an addition to the law that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. They claim that this oral law was also given to Moses at that time, although a lot of the "oral law" contradicts the law given to Moses which he physically recorded. Jesus made enemies of this group by telling them the truth that by their adding the so-called "oral law" they were in fact adding to the law given by God to Moses. Their telling people to keep the "oral law" put them in a position of breaking the law God gave to Moses to give to Israel.
Deuteronomy 4:2: You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahovah your God which I command you.
The Pharisees both added to and diminished the law given to Moses at Mount Sinai and as a result, Jesus said they were following the traditions of men rather the obeying the law given by God to Moses that they were supposed to teach and obey.
Today in modern Judaism the words spoken by various rabbis are considered to be in fact equal to the law given by God to Moses. They have perverted that which they were given and Jesus called them out for doidng that.
He did so as the Messiah they would not recognize because if they had recognized him as such they would have had to give up their positions of authority and stop deceiving the people. Thus they planned to have him killed! This is always the result of people who are confronted with the truth that convicts them to the core of their being. They will either accept the truth or persecute and deny what has convicted their hearts and minds.
If Satan or his minister who appears to be righteous cannot deceive you then he/they will persecute you or try to destroy you. If we are doing the works of Jesus as we should, i.e. preach the gospel message about the soon coming kingdom and be willing to lay down our lives for our brethren we will be persecuted.
Matthew 5:10: Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Galatians 4:28-29: Now [l]we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise but as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so, it is now.
John 15:20: Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Luke 6:47-48: Whosoever comes to me, and hears my sayings, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built a house, and dug deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Psalms 89:26: He shall cry unto me, you are my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
In doing these things we will exceed the "righteousness" of the Pharisees.
If we follow the creed of Jesus given in Mark 12:28-32, which is to love God with all our being and to love our neighbors as ourselves we will exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees one hundred fold!
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