Over the past fifty years I’ve heard a rendition of “I don’t go to church because of the hypocrites” many, many times. This is an excuse for rejecting Christ or if it happened to be a true Christian, he or she would be seeking to live a carnal life with no commitment to Christ at all. A person with that attitude should earnestly do an inventory of their salvation. It could be that the experience they are trusting in for heaven is nothing like biblical salvation.
During the ministry of Jesus, the hardest preaching Jesus did was to the Pharisees and Scribes. Matthew 23 is a sermon Christ preached to these hypocrites. Eight times he used the word “woe” in condemning them for their behaviors. He accused them of harming widows (23:14), seeking to proselyte others into their sinful lifestyles (23:15), called them blind guides (23:16), spoke about them tithing on spices but omitting helping others by having mercy (23:23), and having lives that look great on the outside but wicked on the inside (23:25, 27).
While preaching hard to the Pharisees he also warned the disciples, those true believers, to live their lives as a testimony. The chapter begins telling us to whom Jesus is addressing. The multitudes are present which means the common people, along with the religious leaders, as well as the disciples (23:1). These hypocritical scribes and Pharisees love the places of prominence such as Moses’ seat. The seat of Moses was in every synagogue and held the utmost authority for that congregation. The occupant of that seat said who would pray, who would read the scroll, and who would be allowed to speak. The disciples are being warned because they themselves will be the future leaders of the church. They will have authority in the near future. How are they to live? Jesus says about those Jewish leaders, “for they say and do not” (23:3). In other words, don’t live like they live. Your life ought to be different. If we live our lives as hypocrites what is the damning result? “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer (allow) ye them that are entering (seeking) to go in” (23:13). These hypocritical people are turning people off to God and those that do desire the Lord are being led away in the wrong direction.
What is a huge lesson for us from this chapter? It matters how we live. The Christian life should be a life that is biblical. But this life isn’t to be lived just by the letter of the passage, but our hearts should be genuine. Mercy and grace should adorn each Christian. Is your life attracting people to your Jesus? Many years ago, I heard someone say, “You and your life are the only Bible some people will ever read.” That is a sobering statement in my mind. Knowing that people are watching me and the behaviors I live and the words I use toward others have a direct bearing on the eternity of others. I began this blog with “if it wasn’t for the hypocrites I’d come to church.” When people tell me this I always tell them, “We have room for one more.” That response may be humorous, but hypocrisy is a huge stumbling block, and we ought to do our best to banish it from our lives.