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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?”
“As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Romans 2:17-24
This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
If there’s anything just as bad as being judgmental, it’s a Christian believer who is a hypocrite.
Maybe you’ve met one or two of these in your lifetime.
The Christian hypocrite will always spend more time telling you how you should live than they do self examining their own lives. They’re eager to shine a spotlight on your sin when they keep their own from being seen, hiding them in the dark recesses of their hearts and minds. In some twisted way, they think it’s okay to do the things they tell others not to do. This is why the word of the Lord is clear when it comes to the following exhortation:
“Don’t be a hypocrite!”
In Jesus’ day, you could find examples of hypocrisy within the Jewish religious leadership, mostly by the Pharisees and Sadducees. It was so prevalent that Jesus often railed against the way they legalistically went about their business, quick to criticize their Jewish followers for violating the Law while breaking it regularly themselves. In Matthew 23, we find Him speaking these words of admonishment:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.”
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:1-36
I think Jesus makes the point very clear that any hypocritical behavior by those serving God is unacceptable. Paul underscores this point in our scripture passage today as he addresses the people in Rome. He writes addressing the Jews in Rome:
“Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know His will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?”
“As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Romans 2:17-24
Here Paul follows Jesus’ blueprint, first pointing out how prideful Jews within that community rely on the Law, boast in God, and carry themselves as if they have some elevated status in the Lord’s sight. Empowered by the Law and the “embodiment of knowledge and truth” within it, these puffed up leaders in the Jewish religious society tout themselves as a “guide for the blind”, “a light for those who are in the dark”, “an instructor for the foolish”, and “a teacher of little children”. Note they see others as in need of spiritual wisdom and education but neglect to take the very scriptures they share to heart and this leads to them not practicing what they preach.
Some would preach against stealing and yet steal themselves, even going as far as robbing temples. .
Others would teach against adulterous behavior but freely engage in adultery when given the opportunity.
In both of these instances and more, Jewish leaders would dishonor God by being hypocritical lawbreakers and we know Jesus sent wishes of woe to anyone who behaved this way for the judgment of God would be coming upon them.
I heard someone say a long time ago that you shouldn’t try and run someone else’s business when your business is failing. It was an analogy drenched in the matter of being hypocritical. Rather than simply tell others what they should do as Christians, maybe we should spend just as much time teaching by the way we behave, instructing by doing. For not only are others observing us to make sure we live life in the ways of the Lord, validating the things we say should be done, but God is watching as well and not only sees our outward actions but our most inward thoughts and motivations.
Friends, we should never feel it’s okay to be a hypocrite. For God despises this and Jesus teaches against it...and that should be all we need to know to steer away from the sinful behavior.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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