“Walking the Talk”

Hypocrisy “Matthew 23”

“The church is full of hypocrites!” We can’t be part of God’s family for long before we hear those words from someone.

In fact, this may be the most frequently used rationalization for dismissing the truth about Jesus and choosing not to follow him.

That is why it is crucial that our relationship with him is based on more than just lip service.

In fact Jesus’ harshest criticism was directed at people who confessed one set of beliefs but lived according to an entirely different system.

The religious leaders in Israel had over centuries disserted and elaborated in God’s law until Jewish daily life had come to be based on hundreds of regulations associated with every aspect of living.

Jesus spoke to and about these religious leaders on many occasions and at one point he directed an entire sermon toward them (see Matthew 23:1-39).

Over and over again he proclaimed, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees.”

The word woe signifies the threat of dire calamity. In this case, Jesus was abundantly clear that religious hypocrites are under the judgement of the very God they claim to be serving through adherence to all of their own rules and regulations.

We are all guilty at one time or another of saying one thing and doing another. One of the problems with hypocrisy is its easier to identify the fault in others rather to admit to it in oneself!

So Jesus was explicit. There are certain characteristics that point to a hypocritical lifestyle:

Do we talk more spiritually than we live? Jesus criticized the Pharisees because the did not practice what they preached (verse 3).

They were full of impressive spiritual talk but woefully deficient in their walk, making demands on other people that they themselves were unwilling to fulfill.

Expressed in contemporary language, their motto might have been, “Do as I say, not as I do”.

Do we serve God so that people will be impressed? The Pharisees were undeniably devout, but they often engaged in religious activities and performed good deeds for the sole purpose of impressing others.

Jesus nailed the problem head on when he noted that “everything they do is done for men to see” (verse 5)

Are we more interested in how we look on the outside rather than in the condition of our hearts? The Pharisees paid careful attention to living a life that was seen on the outside as if being righteous and paid no attention to their inward hearts, making sure that everything they did aligned with what God’s law called “Clean” while avoiding everything “unclean”.

But Jesus revealed that their hearts were corrupt, Spread throughout by greed and self-indulgence (verse 25).

Religious hypocrisy is especially deceitful and dangerous because it drives us away from the God we profess to love at the same time we think we are moving closer to him (verses 37-39).

In Jesus’ day hypocrisy caused many religious people to reject him as the promised Messiah-and the same holds true today. God’s desire will always be that we remain devoted to Him in heartfelt love.

Take a moment to examine your own heart today for evidences of hypocrisy. Confess it to the Lord and develop a specific action plan to bring you closer to a life of integrity.