Words from the Rock
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees . . . make strict rules and try to force people to obey them, but they are unwilling to help those who struggle under the weight of their rules.
They do good things so that other people will see them. They . . . love to have the most important seats at feasts and in the synagogues. They love people to greet them with respect in the marketplaces, and they love to have people call them “Teacher.”
Matthew 23:2, 4–7 NCV
Is it a coincidence that so many Scriptures containing Jesus’s words are directed toward the religious community? Do you think Jesus’s warnings about religion apply only to the leaders of his day? Or is there something we can all learn from Jesus’s confrontations with religious hypocrites? As unfortunate as it is, sometimes the Christian community experiences some of the same problems as the scribes and Pharisees. Perhaps Jesus wants to remind all of us to beware of the hypocrite trap.
How do you feel about Christians who judge and criticize people with different beliefs? How do you react to Christians who seem to think they’re better than nonbelievers? What do you think about Christians who act like they belong to an exclusive club—like their church is for members only? More importantly, what does Jesus think? Is it possible that Jesus regards some Christians as no different from the religious leaders of his day?
Jesus speaks out against those who make rules for the purpose of hurting and excluding others. He takes a stand against those who appear good on the outside but who are selfish and corrupt underneath. He has no patience with those who, under the guise of religion, elevate themselves above everyone else.
Now imagine how Jesus must feel when someone wearing the label of “Christian” does any of those things. How would he react to people who claim to know him but act just like the religious leaders that he took to task on a regular basis? Jesus wants you to guard your heart against religious superiority and hypocrisy. He wants you to love and serve and practice humility—in other words, to imitate him.
My Prayer
Dear God,
Please help me to be on the alert for hypocrisy in my life. Teach me to practice inclusive love. Make me more like you.
Amen.
Final Word
When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
Matthew 6:5 NIV
Stone for the Journey
Jesus can keep me authentic and free from hypocrisy.