1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 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. 4 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.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
“I can’t learn anything from a hypocrite!”
Our preferred response is to keep our distance from hypocrites and ignore everything they say…as though hypocrisy were dangerously contagious. Not so fast, my friend…we are actually expected to listen and learn from them.
Should an aspiring Christian musician refuse to attend The Julliard School simply because the president of the school owns a karaoke machine?
This is why Jesus taught the crowd with these words…”you must be careful to do everything they (the Pharisees) tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach”.
Today’s scripture raises a critical point for us Christians: It’s possible to be perfectly precise in our doctrine and still be completely messed up. In fact, it’s the quintessential definition of hypocrisy…when we know one value to be true but live by another. Sadly, by this definition we all struggle with hypocrisy on some points.
But be careful. Hypocrisy is not just another sin. Sin (as an act) is failing to measure up to the standard God has established. We believe the standard, we’re devoted to it, but we fail. Hypocrisy, on the other hand, is proclaiming the standard for others while making no attempt to achieve it in our own lives.
Like…preaching a “6 day creation” if we don’t personally believe it to be true. This is hypocrisy because we are only doing it to keep the congregation and the District Superintendent happy. If we weren’t worried about what others thought we wouldn’t preach that sermon.
There is a reason this happens…and Jesus continues to explain the root of the whole thing: “Everything they do is done for people to see”.
How can we know if we’re submitting to this temptation? The easiest way is to look at how we present ourselves. “Colonel!”, “Doctor!”, “Senator!”, “Professor!” Do we use our titles when it’s professionally appropriate, or do we lead with them? I bring my car to the shop and introduce myself as “Reverend Thompson” as though the mechanic cares. What I really want is for him to be impressed enough by my title so he will give me special treatment.
This is how we know…
It doesn’t mean people can’t learn from me. It only means they shouldn’t emulate me.
And, here’s a piece of advice you might take from a recovering hypocrite: I was told in my early religious education that the Catholic Church was wrong to call their clergy “Father” base on this text. Wow, did that teacher miss the point!
Live boldly our there…
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