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The continuation of lesson 36 of the Discipleship Making process, where in part one of this lesson we were left answering the question, “In what ways can a Christian be guilty of hypocrisy?”
In summary of the last lesson, we found Jesus introducing the subject, to His disciples, of “Exposing Hypocrisy”, where we learned that blaspheming or speaking against the Holy Spirit, the unpardonable sin, essentially was calling what is good . . . . evil or what is evil . . . good. And even more significant in the message was understanding that the good that was being alluded to, the only true good, was God Himself. It is here that we pick-up where we left off last, Jesus instructing His disciples to “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees” and that “Hypocrisy cannot be hidden from God”.
Read: Luke 11:37-12:3
Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to lunch. While dining with him Jesus pronounced three woes upon the Pharisees and three woes upon the Scribes. Many Christians think that when Jesus spoke the woes that He was condemning the Scribes and Pharisees, but He wasn’t. The word “woe” means lament or sorrow. So Jesus was simply stating that because of their actions, sorrows would come their way.
Shortly after rebuking the Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus resumed His duty of teaching the disciples. He began the lesson with this command, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy.”
In an earlier account Jesus had cautioned the disciples about the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (see Lesson 27). On that occasion it was connected with placing the traditions of men before the word of God (Matthew 15:3, 6, Mark 7:9, 13). This time He deals with the issue of their hypocrisy.
Although the Pharisees had the Scriptures and lived by them they were devoid of the Spirit of God. Jesus knew this by the words they spoke. The Pharisees did not recognize Him as being from God or accept the miracles He performed and even went so far as to blaspheme the Holy Spirit (John 8:42-47).
Jesus recognized that the Pharisees were practicing a form of religion but without the power to live it, which was the Holy Spirit. On the outside they appeared righteous but on the inside they were not. Therefore He cautioned the disciples about following men such as these and giving heed to their teachings. The reason for this is that what people are taught affects them for a lifetime. As leaven permeates every part of the substance in which it is placed, so too does teaching.
It is imperative that we, as Christians heed Jesus’ instruction concerning people such as these, who teach about righteousness but are devoid of the Holy Spirit. For many it is difficult to imagine that these kinds of people actually hold places of authority within the Church. But we shouldn’t be surprised (2 Timothy 3:1-5, Acts 20:29-31, Jude (the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ)).
Jesus closes the subject of hypocrisy with two sobering statements. “‘But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.’” Hypocrisy cannot be hidden from God!
The point of the lesson is to test the spirits.
With that, allow me to leave you with this question to consider, along with a little homework assignment until my next posting:
Why do people try to hide what they have done or said?
. . . and the homework assignment . . .
Meditate on 1 John 3:23 – 4:7
Until next time . . . Godspeed!
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