Jesus speaks against hypocrisy

Jesus speaks against hypocrisy     

Luke 12: 2-3 “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.”

Extra Reading: Luke 12:1-12   

Jesus warned and taught his disciples against certain destructive attitudes and tendencies. After Jesus denounced the Pharisees and scribes of hypocrisy, he then warned his disciples of the same problem. Perhaps they were tempted by the popularity of Jesus, and by extension, their own. With the limelight of fame shining on them, they were beginning to follow the Pharisees on a path of hypocrisy-acting religiously superior and judging others, while harbouring jealousy, greed, and pride within their souls. This type of hypocrisy was utterly unacceptable to Jesus Christ. Let’s try and define what hypocrisy is. It is ‘a behaviour in which a person pretends to have higher standards than they really have’.  The danger of hypocrisy is that it makes a Pharisee to parade a false religiosity in front of people, while completely ignoring God. Those types of hypocrites claim to be close to God, when in fact they are far from him (Luke 11:52). Jesus sternly warned his disciples of this yeast-this evil that spreads quickly among religious workers.

With the proliferation of radios, televisions, and the internet today, the allure of, fame and popularity is just as dangerous as it was in Jesus’ time. Be on guard against pride and hypocrisy. Be more concerned about your relationship with God than how you appear to others. In the Scriptures we have read, Jesus strongly warned against the spread of hypocrisy and its destructive consequences. How do you avoid hypocrisy? Ask God on your knees to cleanse you of any tinge of it. Do Christian service in grateful response to God, and not as a scheme to gain anyone’s approval. Hypocrisy can happen when certain actions or attitudes are hidden. One day, however, everything will be revealed, known, heard, and proclaimed. The Pharisees could not keep their attitudes hidden forever. Their selfishness would act like “yeast” (12:1), and soon they would expose themselves for what they really were-power-hungry imposters, not devoted religious leaders. They will be condemned in the final Judgment Day.

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, please rid our hearts and souls of hypocrisy. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

Rev. Samuel N. Modise