Beware Hypocrisy- Part 2

Introduction- Matthew 23:1-12

Last week we considered a warning from the Lord Jesus directed to His disciples to avoid the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.

Jesus warned them to beware the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy and then challenged them to consider that all that is hidden will one day be revealed.

Jesus also addressed the motivation underlying hypocrisy—the fear of man—and encouraged His disciples to fear God and concern themselves with pleasing Him rather than with pleasing men.

We must remember that in the end we will not be judged on the basis of what men think us to be but on the basis of what God knows that we are.

Today we will begin to explore Matthew 23 where the Lord Jesus begins to go into detail concerning the nature of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

Again this instruction is directed towards the disciples of Jesus and here He begins to deal with the specifics of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees in order that His disciples would not follow the same patterns of hypocritical behavior.

This first section is dedicated to addressing the scribes and Pharisees concern with appearance over substance—they were more concerned with maintaining their reputation and prominent position among men than they were with actually honoring God and following His commandments.

They were perfectly willing to institute impossible standards to which they would hold other men accountable while failing themselves to uphold the most basic commands of God.

Here Jesus shines a light on their hypocrisy so that others will not follow the pattern of their exercise of religion.

They Say and Do Not (Vs. 1-4)

Note here that Jesus is addressing both the multitudes who have gathered to hear Him as well as His disciples.

His intent here is to call attention to the hypocritical behavior of the scribes and Pharisees—these were considered to be the most eminently religious people among them.

The scribes were those who were responsible for interpretation and application of the law and the Pharisees were a religious society that had been formed by those who were supposed to be the most careful observers of the law.

The scribes and Pharisees were esteemed among men as religious leaders whose example others should follow in order to be truly spiritual.

Yet Jesus regularly came into conflict with them because of their hypocritical ways.

Jesus speaks of the scribes and Pharisees sitting in “Moses’ seat”—a reference to the fact that they had taken upon themselves the authority which God had given to Moses in giving the law and judging men in matters relating to it.

The scribes and Pharisees had set themselves up as authorities on the interpretation and application of God’s law.

Jesus instructs His audience to observe what the scribes and Pharisees bid them to observe—this is obviously limited to those things which were actually contained in God’s law not the additions which they had made to the law.

Mark 7:9–13 “And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

The point here is that some of the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees was true and should be obeyed.

This demonstrates the fact that truth is truth no matter the source and truth is always to be obeyed.

However Jesus then warns His audience not to follow the pattern of the scribes and Pharisees because they “say and do not.”

The problem was that the scribes and Pharisees may have been teaching truth but they were not observing it.

This is the very definition of hypocrisy—saying and not doing—and all of us have been guilty of this.

It is critically important that as we communicate truth to others, we actually put the truth into practice in our own lives.

The scribes and Pharisees placed exacting standards on others, but were not willing to hold themselves to the same standard.

This is what is meant when Jesus says that “bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them on men’s shoulders.”

They were instituting standards which were nearly impossible for men to keep and they were unwilling themselves to lift a finger to attempt to keep them or to help others to do so.

The true disciple of Christ will not follow their pattern but will be much more exacting of himself than he is of others.

The disciple of Christ must be careful to not only teach the truth but to observe the truth in his own life first.

We must not place standards upon others which we are not willing to adhere to ourselves.

So frequently we can be experts at identifying and pointing out the sin in others while totally ignoring the sin that is present in our own hearts and lives.

To Be Seen of Men (Vs. 5-7)

Jesus also points out the fact that the all that the scribes and Pharisees did was for the sole purpose of being “seen of men.”

Even the things which they did which were right were done with the wrong motive—they were not concerned with pleasing God, but rather with gaining the attention of men.

What they treasured above all else was to be seen of men—to be considered by men to be spiritual/religious.

All that they did was designed to garner public recognition—they wanted everyone to see just how spiritual/religious they were and they would go to great lengths to achieve this end.

Jesus describes the fact that they were known for making broad their phylacteries.

A Phylacterie for the head consisted of a box with four compartments, each containing a slip of parchment inscribed with one of the four passages. Each of these strips was to be tied up with a well-washed hair from a calf’s tail; lest, if tied with wool or thread, any fungoid growth should ever pollute them. The phylactery of the arm was to contain a single slip, with the same four passages written in four columns of seven lines each. The black leather straps by which they were fastened were wound seven times round the arm and three times round the hand

The scribes and Pharisees would make theirs larger and more noticeable than other men as a supposed demonstration of their spirituality and religious zeal.

This would be similar to a person today who wore symbols of Christianity like a cross or something with scripture on it as a means of proving their spirituality/religious zeal.

Jesus also spoke of their enlarging the borders of their garments—these were fringes which many Jews had on their garments to serve as a reminder of the commandments of God.

The scribes and Pharisees would make their fringes larger than that of others to prove their spirituality and zeal for the law of God.

They also loved the uppermost rooms at feasts—this simply indicates that they loved to be the center of attention and to be in a position of honor and respect.

They loved the chief seats in the synagogues—they wanted to be in the place of prominence where others would notice them.

They loved greetings in the market—they treasured public recognition and sought to be addressed in a particular fashion so that men would be aware of their position.

Title Seeking (Vs. 8-10)

They also loved to be called Rabbi because this title came with a measure of respect and admiration from the people.

Rabbi was a title given to those who were recognized for their teaching ability and was a title of respect and which came with some measure of authority.

The scribes and Pharisees were very concerned with being called by titles which came with authority and admiration from the people.

Jesus challenged his disciples to avoid seeking such titles from men—He rightly points out that they have only one who is worthy to be called their master and that is Christ.

He points out that they are all brethren and one is not to be elevated inappropriately above another.

He challenges them also to call no man their father for one is their Father which is God in heaven.

The title of Father which is so cherished in some religious circles is given in direct contradiction to the plain command of scripture.

This is because this term should be reserved for only our biological father and for our heavenly Father.

It is entirely inappropriate to insist that others would call us father for in doing so we take upon us an authority which is not ours.

Paul did frequently speak of himself as a spiritual father of sorts to those whom he had personally led to Christ, but this is distinct from insisting upon being called father by them—which obviously Paul did not do.

Jesus also challenges His disciples not to take to themselves the title of Master because Christ alone is to be their master.

The point here is not so much the titles themselves but the insistence upon being called by them.

In our modern context it may be understood of those who insist on being called “pastor” or “reverend” or “doctor” in order to gain the authority, respect, recognition, and admiration that is attached to such titles.

It is foolish for a disciple of Christ to insist on such titles for in the end any authority that he may have is not the product of his own inherent worth or ability but only upon the authority which Christ has bestowed upon Him.

Those who insist on being called by such titles demonstrate the fact that they are unworthy of them—it may be that God would give us some measure of authority in the lives of others but it is not because we are somehow spiritually superior to others and deserving of it in ourselves.

True Greatness (Vs. 11-12)

The measure of greatness in the eyes of the scribes and Pharisees was the recognition and respect that they received from men—they longed to be exalted among men.

Yet Jesus puts forward an idea that is entirely contradictory to their perspective.

Jesus clearly states that the one who will be greatest among them will be the one who acts in the role of a servant.

This Jesus had already told His disciples at an earlier time as they sought to themselves positions of prominence in His kingdom.

Matthew 20:20-28- The greatest shall be servant of all.

Jesus intended that His disciples should understand that greatness in the eyes of God was not measure by prominence among men, but by a willingness to serve others.

Jesus tells His audience that those who exalt themselves will ultimately be abased (brought low/humbled).

On the other hand those who will voluntarily humble themselves shall in the end find that they shall be exalted.

This is the exact opposite viewpoint to that of the scribes and Pharisees—their lives were dedicated to exalting themselves among men—which meant that in the end God would humble them.

Jesus encourages His followers to be humble servants so that they shall one day be exalted by God.

This hearkens back to the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus plainly indicates that those who do what they do for the purpose of being seen of men have their reward in the attention that they garner from men.

Matthew 6:1–5 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”

This meant that they would receive no eternal reward for their actions because they were done with the wrong motives.

The true disciples of Christ are motivated by a desire to please Him not a desire to impress men.

Conclusion