Beware of Hypocrisy
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1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.
7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.
9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10 “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.
12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
After Jesus had had what appears to be a rather uncomfortable dinner with the Pharisees and lawyers where He confronted them with their sin of hypocrisy. We find that meanwhile there was a very large gathering happening. So after dinner Jesus find opportunity to teach.
The crowd was so large that they were trampling one another as they pressed to get closer to Jesus.
Jesus always made use opportunities that were presented to Him. He had already sent the day preaching before He had dinner with the Pharisee. No doubt He was exhausted but He would not miss such an opportunity to teach. And the topic of His teaching seems to come from the dinner discussion.
He had told the scribes and Pharisees that they were like unmarked graves where men would walk on them and not be aware that they would make the unclean. Because they held a position of authority and were to be spiritual guides people would go and here their teaching and observe their life and follow them, but they would be following them into darkness.
12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.
14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
So now He warns His disciples “first of all” but also the large crowd.
1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
The sin of hypocrisy as we discussed last week is when we pretend. The word literally means “acting on the stage” or play acting, and it was expanded to refer to mean someone wearing a figurative mask or pretending to be something that they are not. The Pharisee were pretending to be spiritual leaders who followed God but really they just loved money and power and status. They hate Jesus because He called them out and threatened their authority and influence.
So Jesus warns the disciples and the crowd this hypocrisy is like leaven. Just a little bit will grow and expand until it consumes you. People strat getting the idea that you are spiritual and they praise you for your faithfulness. And it feels good. They don’t know what you are really like when no one is watching. So you go along with it, and before you know it you begin to do certain things so that people can see you. You attempt to live to a strict standard. Something that goes hand in hand with hypocrisy is legalism and judgement. Just like the Pharisee judged Jesus for not washing His hands.
Jesus says beware of hypocrisy first of all to His disciples. Jesus knew that one of the disciples was a hypocrite, Judas. He was pretending to be a follower of Jesus but He wasn’t really.
2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.
3 Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said,
5 “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
7 But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.
8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”
But to the hypocrite, the one who pretends to be something that they are not, Jesus warns.
2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.
3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.
Judgement is coming! Justice will be met out.
1 Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
2 But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”:
We must all stand before the judgement seat of Christ.
10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.”
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.
I’ve heard some say oh but isn’that judgement just a prize giving where we receive rewards for what we have done?
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.
14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward.
15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Now back in our passage lets look at what Jesus says regarding how God will Judge hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the opposite of integrity. Integrity is honesty, it is reliability. It’s doing what is right even when know one is around to see it. Hypocrisy is living a lie, integrity is living the truth.
4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
Hypocrites fear men, what people will think of them. People of integrity fear God. They know that God sees everything and He has the power no only to kill but to damn to hell.
6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.
7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
This serves as a warning as well as a comfort. If God know the sparrow then He know you. It the hairs of your head are numbered then God knows what is in your heart, He know your thought and intentions. For hypocrites this is a warning because a hypocrites worst fear is that they will be exposed. God knows who you are when you are not pretending.
For the honest person with integrity, you can rest assured God knows you. God sees when you are honest and no one else is around and He knows your heart. God with judge righteously.
8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.
9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
The hypocrite will confess Jesus when they are around other Christians but because they fear men rather than God they will deny Jesus when they are around non Christian friends.
People of integrity are the same regardless of who they are around.
10 “And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
hypocrites pretend to be believers but is they blaspheme against the Holy Spirit they will not be forgiven.
11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.
12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
If you choose to be truthful and honest you may find yourself one day standing before a judge. Remember, they can only take your life. Remain honest, trust and fear God not man, don’t deny Christ, and the Holy Spirit will give you the right words to say.
