Devotional Reading: Luke 14:7-14
There may be hypocrites in the church, but that is no reason not to follow Jesus. Did the hypocrisy of Judas Iscariot permit the rest of the apostles to leave Jesus? Do you allow the presence of hypocrites keep you from enjoying vacations?1 http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/matt/mt23_1.htm Then why let the presence of hypocrites keep you from enjoying the Word and the fellowship of the believers?
Jasmine’s Pastor was going through the membership roster and calling persons he had not seen in quite some time. He paused when she boasted, “I never go to church. Perhaps you noticed that Pastor?” He answered, “Yes, I noticed that.” So she excused herself by stating, “Well, the reason I don’t go is because there are so many hypocrites there.” To that sarcastic response the Pastor stated, “Oh, don’t let that keep you away! There is always room for one more!”
A few weeks ago the women of New Northside presented a Taking off The Mask Brunch. There can be various reasons as to why people wear masks. Thank God we have Jesus to help us remove our masks. A mask is defined as a covering and a hypocrite is defined as a pretender, a deceiver. Not everyone who wears a mask is a hypocrite. But every hypocrite, according to the Bible, puts on a mask and pretends to be something he is not.2 https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-hypocrisy/ (i.e. James 3:17; 1 John 4:20; Gal 6:3) It is hypocrisy to claim to know and follow certain beliefs but to behave in a way that is different from those beliefs. https://www.bing.com/search?q=hypocrite+definition+in+bible&qs=AS&pq=hypocrite+definition&sk=HS1AS3&sc=8-20&cvid=41E4A7B92A1A49D2B84FE9A9291325C9&FORM=QBRE&sp=5
This summer quarter focuses on Justice in the New Testament. We are in Unit II “Jesus Calls for Justice and Mercy” of the three units of the quarter. This is the second lesson of the five lesson study with a recording of Jesus’ teaching of hypocrisy to the disciples and a crowd that had gathered (Matt 23). The scribes and Pharisees were already seeking to arrest Jesus (Matt 21:46) after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11). This is Jesus’ last public message before He dies on the cross. It is a scathing denunciation of false religion and hypocrisy. He is speaking to the multitude, the disciples, and the religious leaders.
It is the week of the Passover celebration and there are people everywhere in Jerusalem. The normal population, which is generally a few hundred thousand, is near three million people during this Passover celebration. http://www.josephus.org/Passover.htm#number Jesus does not miss out on a teaching opportunity in His final week on earth. Matt 23:1-3 states, Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. (NKJV)
In the eyes of the crowds and the disciples, the Pharisees and scribes were highly religious. Jesus must burst the bubble of the people to let them know they must not idolize the religious leaders. If He does not let the people know of the deceit of the religious leaders, the people will continue to follow the legal behavior required by the scribes and Pharisees, both who see Jesus and His doctrine as a threat. For example, how dare Jesus heal the sick on the Sabbath? Jesus holds nothing back in pulling off their masks.
The scribes were at first primarily officials who kept records for the king. Their office later became one well versed in teaching the Law of Moses. The Pharisees were “separated ones” and known for interpreting the Law of Moses very rigidly in an attempt to protect it. The Pharisees could be seen as a religious party while the scribes held office.
Jesus explained that the Pharisees and scribes sit in Moses seat. They had an esteemed position to be respected. They expounded the law on appeals and taught the people how to apply it to particular cases with the authority of Moses. As long as they taught within the Word of God, Jesus had no objection to their teaching, preaching, and interpretation of the Law. Jesus did not come to overthrow the Law of Moses but to fulfill it. (Matt 5:17) The Law of Moses is from God. However, as soon as their actions do not match what they preach, Jesus must raise a flag of objection. It is against God to walk a walk that is inconsistent with our talk, especially as the leader. Just because they sit in Moses seat is not a reason to condemn the office. Matt 13:30 allows the wheat and the tare to grow together until harvest time. Look beyond the messenger for God’s message. The LORD will remove the tare from the wheat at harvest time.
Obviously the Pharisees and scribes were great talkers, but they were not doers of much work themselves. They were imposing very severe burdens upon others those things they themselves were not willing to submit to as a burden. Matt 23:4 indicates “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”(NKJV) The heavy burdens that were hard to bear were the many traditions the scribes and Pharisees instituted to guarantee faithfulness (as they saw it) to the Law of Moses. Jesus has a light burden and a kind yoke. He wants Christianity to be a feast and not like living in a dungeon. The burden and yoke placed on the followers of the scribes and Pharisees was totally unacceptable. Jesus told these professed leaders they were hypocrites in a confrontation at Matt 15:1-9, stating their tradition breaks the command of God.
Jesus condemned the religious leaders of being only concerned with outward appearances for human applause. He leveled charges of condemnation as reported at Matt 23:5-7, “But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’” (NKJV) An outward show is no proof of a genuine inward relationship with God. We have people like that today. It is as if they glide on low-flying clouds surrounded by their glow as they carry their very large Bibles that are never read. How does God actually fit in their picture?
These teachers of the Law and Pharisees completely missed the spiritual point of God’s requirement. God meant that the Law should continually be before them in bringing them out of Egypt. They were to know it to guide their actions as both a sign upon their hands and as frontlets between their eyes (Ex 13:9, 16; Deut 6:8; Deut 11:18). The Jews reduced this spiritual command to physical leather capsules, called phylacteries, which contained portions of Scripture. The most devout adult male religious leaders wore them between their eyes and on the left arms. However, the scribes and Pharisees were more concerned with having the appearance of super-spiritual and made their phylacteries bigger and more obvious. Perhaps it was gracious to appear more holy, but God knew their hearts which is actually where we aim to receive His Word in order to obey it.
The Law also commanded the Jews to wear tassels with blue cords on the corners of their garments (Num 15:37-41; Deut 22:12). Merely by wearing the tassels the Jewish nation was wearing royal robes that identified God’s authority and power. They were to remember the commandments of God and were to be reminded they were a distinct people who had been delivered. They were to walk as God’s holy and chosen people. Some even say that Jesus had on the royal robe when the woman with the issue of blood reached out to touch the hem of His garment and was healed. (Matt 9:20-21; Mk 5:25-30; John 8:43-44) http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=51433&columnid=4923 But the scribes and Pharisees missed the spiritual point and would wear longer fringes/tassels than everyone else to garner more attention upon themselves instead of God. They wanted the appearance of being more devoted to God than anyone else.
These religious leaders loved the special treatment and honor they received from men. In all public appearances, i.e. at feasts and synagogues, they had to have the best seats in order to be recognized. They wanted to sit on the platforms. Isn’t it sad that even in God’s house, when they were supposed to be worshiping God who is worthy of all honor and praise, the scribes and Pharisees wanted superior recognition? They loved the greetings they received in the marketplace recognizing their status. They also loved to be called “Rabbi” because it identified them as teachers. They failed to learn humility and demanded to be identified as teachers. They were puffed up when called “Rabbi” and upset or disappointed when not acknowledged. Such hypocrisy.
Jesus cautioned His disciples to be different in Matt 23:8 by stating, “But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.” (NKJV) Do not seek to hear your title in a manner of superiority over another. Be humble. Don’t pump up your pride. There is only One Master Teacher and His Name is Christ. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 23:13 begins a series of eight woes pronounced by Jesus upon the scribes and the Pharisees where He described them as either hypocrites or blind. We do not cover each of them in our lesson. The next part of this lesson does begin with the woe that follow at verses 23:23-24 which reads, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!” (NKJV)
Jesus did not fault the religious leaders for enforcing the tithing requirement of the law. He objected because they majored in a minor matter of law. That was a minor matter of the Law as compared to enforcing matters of justice, mercy, and faith. The scribes and Pharisees were totally lacking in these matters which carried much weight in the eyes of the LORD. Jesus further states the focus of the religious leaders’ enforcement procedures was negligent, done blindly, without sight, even though they allegedly knew God’s Law. Therefore, they strained at following the law to clean out the smallest unclean animal, the gnat. And they swallowed the camel, one of the biggest unclean animals. It is important to obey all of God’s commandments – the minor and major matters of His Law.
Still another woe pronounced on the religious leaders can be seen at verses 25-26 which read, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. (NKJV) It’s the inside that counts no matter how dressed up the outside appeared. The practices of the religious leaders seemed on the outside to be very exact, and they fooled the people to believe they were very good men. But God knew their hearts. They were filthy on the inside. Christ calls them blind. They must clean up from the inside outward to be clean.
In order to clean up from the inside a few passages readily come to mind. First, Pro 4:23 states, “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” (NKJV) In another passage Jesus told the religious leaders in Matt 15:11 it is what comes out of the mouth which defiles the man. When we leave the “old man” behind and become a “new man” accepting Christ Jesus, we must operate within our “newness of life” Rom 6:1-14. There will be days when the inside of our cups won’t be so clean Rom 7:13-25. We have accepted the Holy Spirit to help us continue to be clean inside and outward. We shall present ourselves alive unto God in this newness, righteousness. It is only when we allow Jesus to operate in our life in the power of the Holy Spirit that we can defeat our hypocritical tendencies.
1 http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/matt/mt23_1.htm
2 https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-hypocrisy/
3 https://www.bing.com/search?q=hypocrite+definition+in+bible&qs=AS&pq=hypocrite+definition&sk=HS1AS3&sc=8-20&cvid=41E4A7B92A1A49D2B84FE9A9291325C9&FORM=QBRE&sp=5
4 http://www.josephus.org/Passover.htm#number
5 http://www.calvarychapelsweetwater.com/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=51433&columnid=4923
Deborah C. Davis
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