Beware Hypocrisy- Part 4

Introduction- Matthew 23:16-28

Last week we continued to consider the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

We considered the fact that by their hypocrisy they were guilty of shutting up the kingdom of heaven to men and Jesus clearly expressed that they themselves would not enter in.

They rejected Jesus and by their hypocritical behavior led others to reject Him as well.

They were guilty even of causing men who were actually seeking the Lord to turn away from Him.

It is clear that this is still true today—the hypocritical behavior of those who claim to be “spiritual leaders” has caused many to reject Christ and has kept many who were actually seeking truth in darkness.

You and I should be careful that we do not act in a hypocritical manner that would cause others to reject Christ or to turn away from the truth.

Jesus also called out their abuse as they used their supposed spirituality as a pretense to take advantage of others.

Finally He also pointed out that they were going to great lengths to convert men to their system of belief and in doing so made them twofold more a child of hell than themselves—assuring their rejection of Christ and of truth.

Today we will consider Jesus’ continued rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees, especially in relation to their erroneous views.

Wrong Values (Vs. 16-22)

This portion of the passage opens with Jesus referring to the scribes and Pharisees as “blind guides”—something that is stated elsewhere in scripture as well.

Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”

The point that the Lord is making is that the scribes and Pharisees have set themselves up in the role of spiritual guides and yet they are blind to the truth so they cannot possibly guide men aright.

Then Jesus points out an example of their blindness to the truth with relation to their position on swearing oaths.

The Lord Jesus addressed this issue during the course of His earthly ministry—and James addressed it in the epistle that bears his name as well.

Matthew 5:33–35 “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.”

James 5:12 “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”

However, if we examine this section closely there is more at issue here than the swearing oaths.

Jesus speaks here of the fact that the scribes and Pharisees considered an oath sworn by the temple or the altar to be non-binding, but considered oaths sworn by the gold in the temple or by the gifts which were offered upon the altar to be binding.

Notice in verse 17, and again in verse 19, that Jesus asks a question of the Pharisees in relation to what is greater.

In one instance Jesus asks whether the gold or the temple which sanctifieth the gold is of greater value, and in the other He questions whether the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift is greater.

Their perspective actually reveals that they have placed greater value on the gold and the gift than they have upon the temple and the altar.

The scribes and Pharisees were more concerned with the gold and the gifts than they were with the temple and the altar when they should have had a much higher regard for the temple and the altar.

They valued these carnal things more than the temple and that altar which were items which had spiritual significance.

Jesus also clarifies that it is foolish to imagine that a man can swear by anything without involving God in their oath because whether it is the temple, the gold, the altar, or the gift, all these are ultimately traced back to God.

It is important that you and I value the right things—those things which have spiritual significance should be much more highly valued to us than those things which are purely carnal and temporal in nature.

Wrong Emphasis (Vs. 23-24)

The second section of this passage opens with a familiar refrain and Jesus once again draws attention to the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

In this section Jesus points out their emphasis on the finer points of the law while totally neglecting to give attention to what Jesus calls the “weightier matters” of the law.

The scribes and Pharisees gave careful attention to tithing of even the smallest quantities of herbs.

They were proud of the fact that they tithed of all that they possessed even things that others may not have even considered.

The problem which Jesus identified is that while they were so careful in these areas, they had omitted the weightier matters of the law—judgment, mercy, and faith.

They were guilty of great injustices, they had failed to show mercy, and they had not demonstrated faith in God.

Jesus says that they were right to give attention to tithing of these seemingly insignificant quantities of herbs.

The problem was that they had left the weightier matters which Jesus had mentioned undone.

He then uses a common proverb to illustrate their foolishness—Jesus agains calls them blind guides and they says that while they strain at a gnat (likely a reference to the straining of liquids before drinking to ensure that there were no unseen insects which would contaminate them making them “unclean”)—they swallow a camel.

This is of course meant to be hyperbolic- the scribes and Pharisees were placing an outsize emphasis upon tithing of these small herbs while failing to emphasize the importance of justice, of showing mercy to others, and the importance of faith in God.

The same misplaced emphasis is often seen in the lives of Christians today—many who profess to be followers of Christ give outsize attention to particular outward expressions of spirituality while also neglecting justice, mercy, and faith.

Some believers give careful attention to things such as church attendance, their manner of dress, tithing, and other outward expressions of religion and yet they utterly neglect the more important elements of spirituality like justice, mercy, and faith.

These principles are at the core of Christianity and are far more important than how often you attend church, how you dress, or whether you tithe.

So many believers pride themselves on their exacting obedience to certain outward expressions of religion, and yet they are guilty of great injustices, they continually fail in showing mercy to others, and they lack in genuine faith towards God.

It is right for believers to attend church faithfully, to dress in a manner that pleases God, to tithe of their income, but we must not fail to give attention to the “weightier matters of the law” such as justice, mercy, and faith.

We too may then be guilty of straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.

Wrong Concern (Vs. 25-28)

In the next two sections of the passage Jesus confronts the scribes and Pharisees with regard to their concern for the outward appearance and lack of concern for the inward condition of their hearts.

He illustrates their approach to spirituality by speaking of their efforts to clean the outside of a cup and platter while on the inside they are full of extortion and excess.

Extortion here refers to their pattern of taking advantage of others for their own personal gain and excess refers to their indulgence and lack of self-discipline.

Jesus indicates to them that their focus should be upon what is within the cup and platter and that this would lead to the cleansing of the outside as well.

He uses a second illustration which serves the same purpose—Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees to whited sepulchres which may appear beautiful outwardly but which are within full death, decay, and uncleanness.

This was likely a reference to the various graves whose markers were whitewashed so that men would avoid contact with the dead which would make them ritually unclean.

The point that Jesus is making is clearly expressed in the final verse of this passage—Jesus says that outwardly the scribes and Pharisees have the appearance of righteousness, and yet if men could see what is within they would find that they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

This is still a serious issue among those who profess to be spiritual today—so many of them are primarily concerned with the outward appearance while neglecting the inward change that should take place within them.

Jesus emphasizes the fact that the inner change will ultimately bring about an outward change while a change to the outward appearance may have no effect whatsoever on the inner life of a man.

The scribes and Pharisees were deeply concerned with carefully maintaining a righteous appearance but they were not at all concerned with the inner man.

Their inner man remained unchanged and was just as wicked and sinful as ever, all the while they were able to maintain an appearance of righteousness which led others to believer that they were truly spiritual when in reality they were utterly bankrupt spiritually.