45: Beware Hypocrisy (Mt 23:1-12)

Why do people call me a Christian? A prideful man was trying to show his class of boys the importance of living the Christian life. But the boys had seen how unkind he could be. They had heard him tell some dirty jokes, talk ugly about other people, & be mean toward them. Attempting to use his life as a prime example of what a Christian should be, the man asked, ”Why do people call me a Christian?". After a moment's pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it's because they don't really know you."

Hypocrisy - a word that causes us to clench our teeth, shake our heads, & motivate our minds to move away from those who live lies. Nobody likes when someone does something different than what they say; and nothing is more frustrating than the person who holds you to standards they do not hold themselves to.

For example:

Leaders Not Under the Law?

Several years ago I read where Washington state legislators headed to work can't get speeding tickets -- or so says the Washington State Patrol and at least one local police department.

Washington lawmakers are constitutionally protected from receiving noncriminal traffic tickets during a legislative session, as well as 15 days before.

A State Patrol spokesman said the privilege not only applies to moving violations near the state Capitol in Olympia, but potentially anywhere in the state.

The logic? Detaining lawmakers on the road -- even for the time it takes to issue them a speeding ticket -- may delay them from getting to the Capitol to vote.

Don’t you hate it when leaders get to live by different standards than the average person? Jesus hated that too, and today we get to see what he says on the subject and why we should BEWARE HYPOCRISY, not only in the lives of others, but in the person we look at every day in the mirror.

PRAY

Do What They Say, Not What They DO

Matthew 23:1–3 (NIV) Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

The teachers of the law were the scribes, scholarly men responsible to copy & preserve the Scriptures, as well as teaching & interpreting the Scriptures.

The Pharisees were teachers who were more involved in the everyday affairs of the people as they worked alongside them in typical trades. Remember that Paul was a pharisee among pharisees (Acts 23:6, Phil 3:4-6) and likely had long been a tent-maker (Acts 18:1-3) as he rose through the religious ranks.

Jesus recognized that these leaders sit in Moses’ seat, meaning - they have the privilege, authority, & responsibility to teach the truths of God as Moses had done. The audience of Jesus was to respect that POSITION although they might not respect the PERSON sitting in the seat.

Because, sadly, many of them did not practice what they preached. This is the classic example of hypocrisy, holding others to a standard that they aren’t willing to hold to themselves.

Yet Jesus tells his audience to do everything they tell you. Certainly Jesus doesn’t mean they should disobey what God wants if the religious leaders tell them to, BUT that they should obey the truth the preacher preaches, even if the preacher doesn’t.

As I’ve watched numerous Christian leaders fall over the years, I have struggled with whether to throw away their books and push away from the deep biblical truths they had once mined so well.

But, according to Jesus - His 1st century audience as well as His 21st century audience should obey the truth the preacher preaches, even if the preacher doesn’t. After all, it’s not the person’s truth - it’s God’s truth!

Bottom Line? You and I are expected to obey God’s clear truth, even it we hear it from a hypocrite’s confusing voice.

Instead, I often hear say something similar to this, “I might be a Christian if it weren’t for the Christians I know.”

While it’s certainly the case that many who claim to be Christians are hypocrites, they’re are also many Christians who DO try to practice what they preach. Truth is…many people like to fault fallen Christians rather than follow the Sinless Savior. If that’s YOU, then you need to be made aware of this:

One day you will be judged by this Sinless Savior, not based on how others have obeyed Him, but by how YOU have obeyed Him. You will be held accountable for the truths you have heard, regardless of who you heard them from.

Now, back to Jesus on how to respond to hypocritical leadership.

Shepherds Who Don’t Love Sheep?

Matthew 23:4 (NIV) They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

Theses religious leaders didn’t just expect the people to obey the 613 commands found in the Scriptures, but they added hundreds and hundreds of traditions to obey - elaborate expectations NOT found in the Scriptures.

In our study we’ve already seen how Jesus and his disciples differed - for example - Jesus & his disciples did NOT participate in ceremonial washing of hands before meals (Mt 15:1-7). Jesus took this opportunity to scold the Pharisees & teachers of the law for being more concerned with man-made traditions than obeying the commands of Scripture by saying, “You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” (Mt 15:6)

Adding hundreds of man-made traditions to the Scriptural commands was more than anyone could carry.

In that day animals like donkeys were used to tote their heavy loads, often loads that are too heavy. These animals are often referred to as beasts of burden that carry the whole load while the human master walks along briskly with little to no weight on his own shoulders.

This is the picture of what was going on with these religious leaders. They loaded down others’ arms with heavy boxes but did nothing as the person struggled & stumbled to carry the heavy load.

In John 9-10 Jesus compares these religious leaders to thieves who take advantage of the sheep and hired hands who dont care about the sheep rather than shepherds that they were supposed to be. In contrast, Jesus calls Himself “The Good Shepherd” who lays down His life for the sheep (Jn 10:11).

But rather than burdening the people down with man-made traditions, Jesus said...

Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

A yoke was a wooden frame put on the shoulders of animals like oxen or donkeys to pull heavy loads or plow fields. This image became symbolic for laws or teachings that others submitted to.

Jesus used this symbolism to show the difference between Him and many religious leaders who:

1) didn’t practice what they preached and who

2) refused to help their disciples with the heavy load they put on them (see Mt 23:4).

By contrast, Jesus was offering rest to anyone who is weary and burdened - those who are exhausted and tired of carrying a heavy load - that includes your daily difficulties, sin struggles, & the unrealistic expectations of man-made traditions.

This rest is not retirement. This is NOT a ceasing of work. but a changing WHO you’re working for! We find rest for our souls when we submit

to a Master who is lowly and humble,

a Master who has modeled what obedience looks like;

a Master who won’t put too heavy a load and leave you to fend for yourself;

a Master who lays down His life for His servants & then works alongside them - being WITH them the whole time (Mt 28:19-20).

Jesus cares for His sheep, but most of the scribes and pharisees cared more about themselves - selfish shepherds.

Selfish Shepherds Seek to be Seen

Matthew 23:5 (NIV) Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;

This is a prime example of what Jesus means when he says “do not do what they do.” (Mt 23:3)

Luke’s Gospel mentions that Jesus says this:

“Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes… (Luke 20:46 NIV)

Beware is not a term of trust, but a term of mistrust.

The phylactery was a little box containing verses from Scripture (Exod. 13:1–10, 11–16; Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21) that adult men wore around the arm & on the forehead during time of prayer. Wide straps or boxes would have communicated that they were more serious about obeying God than others, separating them from the average Joe——seph.

So too, following the command from Numbers 15:37-38, Jews tied blue tassels attached at 4 corners to the outer garment as a reminder of God’s commandments that they were to obey. Evidently, these leaders again made their tassels much more obvious than other people…so people would be sure to notice how seriously they took God’s commands.

All these were intended to be reminders to remember & keep God’s Law and therefore bring glory to Him. Instead, these teachers of the law used this as a tool to bring glory to themselves.

That’s the danger of knowledge & privileged position - it can lead one to think he/she deserve to be treated better than others.

Selfish Shepherds Seek Places & Positions of Honor

Matthew 23:6-7 (NIV) they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

They look forward to getting public recognition; they love to be greeted with respect, have the most important seats, & places of honor. Further, they loved to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others - a title for scholarly teachers recognized for expertise in interpreting the Scriptures.

In other words, they lived to have 1st place, to be seen, recognized, & respected by others. Jesus understood that part of His job description was to humble the prideful religious leaders & expose this facade of who they really were.

Movie Buildings are often just a facade: a front that looks real, but has very little structure behind it…it looks real, but it’s a fake…just a show to fool other people.

In His arguments with these religious leaders, Jesus often showed the people that these leaders were who they made themselves out to be.

In contrast, Jesus commanded His disciples to humble themselves and take the lowest place when invited to a banquet (Lk 14:10-11), not going into public to receive applause, but to communicate value to others as they HONOR the One true God.

Luke 14:10–11 (NIV)

But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Christians are to be known for Humility (not Hypocrisy)

One Rabbi, Teacher, Father, & Instructor

Matthew 23:8-10 (NIV) But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.

Jesus is not saying that there are no legitimate rabbis or teachers, but that His disciples are to recognize HIM - Jesus - as their true Rabbi and Teacher. They are not to jockey for position nor pump themselves up with prestigious titles (like Rabbi) that make them spiritually superior from one another & others.

They are to recognize they are all brothers, with the same Heavenly Father. Outside of our parents, we only have 1 PROVIDER - our Heavenly Father, and NO ONE is to claim to usurp that position.

Jesus is not saying that you can’t call your Dad “father” (we are commanded to honor our FATHERs & mothers - Mt 15:4).

It’s frustrating to me that Roman Catholics & several other spin-offs from that sect call their priests ‘father’ - as if that man is their PROVIDER.

Just as we have only 1 Rabbi & Teacher, only 1 Father & Provider…

So too, we have only 1 ultimate Instructor - this is the only time this term is used in the NT & never used in the Septuagint (Greek translation of Old Testament). This terms seems to mean more than just a teacher, but a mentor & master over the student. Jesus claims that this position belongs to the Messiah alone - that’s Him!

The Greatest is a Servant

Matthew 23:11-12 (NIV) The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

While many of the religious leaders strutted around like peacocks showing off their expensive robes, thick phylacteries, & long tassels - expecting to be placed in the seat of honor and be greeted with prestigious titles,

Jesus wears modest clothing, touches the people they would never touch, cares for the folks they would walk away from, and looks for a place to SERVE rather than be served. Within just a few days, Jesus would take off his outer garment and perform the task of a SERVANT, by washing the feet of His disciples.

And He expects his 1st century disciples and His 21st century disciples to do the same, to be humble servants.

Christians are to be known for Humility (not Hypocrisy)

For many years Sir Walter Scott was the leading literary figure in the British Empire. No one could write as well as he.

Then the works of Lord Byron began to appear, and their greatness was immediately evident. Soon an anonymous critic praised his poems in a London paper. He declared that in the presence of these brilliant works of poetic genius, Scott could no longer be considered the leading poet of England.

It was later discovered that the unnamed reviewer had been none other than Sir Walter Scott himself!

We too now recognize that ONE GREATER than us is worthy of our praise. We will point others to our Great God - Father, Son, & Spirit - our Teacher, our Father, our Instructor & Master.

FEET2FAITH

Make sure you’re walking’ what you’re talkin’. If not, then just quit claiming Jesus while you dishonor Him in your hypocrisy.

Make much of Jesus. Make the time to tell others about the greatness of God in your life. Tell someone how He has answered prayer, spoken to you from the Scripture, how He’s changed another person’s life.

Discussion Questions

Why is it so frustrating when people don’t practice what they preach? Regardless of the evidence that supports Scriptural claims, how does hypocrisy on the part of Christians impact our lost culture?

Read Matthew 23:1-3. Why does Jesus say to obey what the preacher preaches even when the preacher doesn’t?

Read Mt 23:4 & Mt 11:28-30 and discuss the differences between the religious leaders & Jesus regarding their care for people.

Read Mt 23:5-7, Lk 14:10-11, & Mt 23:11-12. Discuss the differences between the religious leaders & those who claim to follow Jesus.

Read Mt 23:8-10. Does Jesus mean we can never call anyone else a teacher? Read these passages before answering: Acts 13:1, 1 Cor 12:28-29, Eph 4:11, 2 Tim 1:11, & James 3:1. How does Mt 23:8-10 become more clear when we talk about Jesus not being our only teacher, but being our ultimate teacher by which the teachings of others are judged?

Jesus wanted to make sure that His disciples didn’t pump themselves up with prestigious titles (like Rabbi) that make them spiritually superior from one another & others. What relationship did Jesus want them to appreciate (Mt 23:8) & what does it mean to view other Christians that way?

Share why each of the FEET2FAITH steps are important for the Christian to apply.

What does God want YOU to do with what we studied today?

How can we pray for/care for one another this week? (Pray for one another.)