You Can Always Tell a Pharisee...but You Can't Tell 'em Much

"But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

And whoever exalts himself will be humbled,

and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

--Jesus, Matthew 23:11-12

 

Do you know how to identify a religious hypocrite?

 

• They are usually prominent in the church community
• They dole out religious advice to anyone who will listen to them
• They make themselves the standard of holiness in the church community
• They set the standards...and continually move the bar so that no one can measure up
• They make Christianity difficult to do, and are almost always unavailable to help others in any meaningful way.
• They always look the part of spiritual authority and prominence
• They love being recognized for their own importance and contributions to the kingdom
• They also love titles.

 

In response to the religious hypocrites of His day, Jesus had a few warnings for them.

 

"Woe to you..." for making salvation an impossibility.  (Matthew 23:13)

 

"Woe to you..." for masking injustice with false piety.  (Matthew 23:14)

 

"Woe to you..." for making your converts just like you.  (Matthew 23:15)

 

"Woe to you..." for not understanding that Christ is the true standard of holiness and source of power.  (Matthew 23:16-22)

 

"Woe to you..." for focusing on the insignificant and ignoring the eternal.  (Matthew 23:23-24)

 

"Woe to you..." for making the outward appearance the priority, while ignoring the inner condition.  (Matthew 23:25-26)

 

"Woe to you..." for covering up your own deadness with outward imitations of life.  (Matthew 23:27-28)

 

"Woe to you..." for celebrating the sins of the past and disguising them with honor.  (Matthew 23:29-30)

 

Religious hypocrisy starts when we make the traditions and commandments of men standards of faith, and when salvation is about works rather than grace.

 

Religious hypocrisy progresses when we focus on works, and it becomes about us--see how holy I am?  Then when we are focused on ourselves and our works, we ignore the needs of others, often using and abusing them.  We begin to think we are the example, and insist that everyone become like us.  We make up rules to explain ourselves, coming up with creative ways to bypass the Word of God.  Holiness becomes an exact science of works, while true holiness in Christ and through Christ-likeness is forgotten.  We allow inner impurity while presenting a false front of righteousness.  We cover up our spiritual deadness and decay with a show of religiosity.  And finally, we reach the point that evil becomes good, and good, evil.

 

And in the end, religious hypocrisy produces death and damnation for all who follow it.

 

Woe be unto us when we can point a finger and say, "That believer in Jesus Christ is just not as holy as me."  That's when we need to be pointing in the mirror.