Beware Of Hypocrisy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Matthew 23:13-22

 Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. ^[14] 

¹⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? ¹⁸ You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

Jesus warns us in no uncertain terms to avoid being hypocrites. Like the Pharisees, we can easily deceive ourselves and others by lofty "teachings" some of which are legitimate, but others, false, and not practice them ourselves. Jesus wants us to be genuine in word and action. What  you see and hear from us should match up. If not, we are no better than these Pharisees Jesus condemns.

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, help me to be sincere and genuine in my words and deeds. Amen.