So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.  Mark 14:13 

 

Origin
Rejected Maccabees' claim to the high priesthood in approximately 170 B.C.

 

Membership
Possibly dissident Sadducees or Pharisees; preferred isolation in wilderness to participation in Temple services led by corrupt priests.

 

Practices

We know that the Essenes lived at Qumran in the desert.  They also had a community in Jerusalem, in the location where Jesus had his Last Supper with the Disciples.  The Essenes would have liked some of the views that Jesus had -- such as when Jesus cleaned out the temple in Jerusalem and confronted the hypocrisy of the Religious Leaders in Jerusalem.  Jesus showed by example that you do NOT withdraw from false beliefs but that you confront them with the truth of God’s word.  How about you?  When falsehood is spoken in religious circles, do you correct it with the word of God or do you retreat?

 

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to always take a stand for what is right, for what is the truth of your Word, and correct the falsehood of False Religious Leaders.  Amen