Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Synoptic Gospels 1: Messenger of the Covenant (7)
Pray Psalm 50.1-4.
The Mighty One, God the LORD,
Has spoken and called the earth
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God will shine forth.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent;
A fire shall devour before Him,
And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.
He shall call to the heavens from above,
And to the earth, that He may judge His people…
Sing Psalm 50.1-4.
(Austrian Hymn: Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken)
God, the LORD, the mighty Savior, summons all from east to west:
Out of Zion, rich with favor, shines He, of all things the best.
Come, O God, and keep not silence; fire devours before Your way!
He His Church, steeped in defiance, comes to judge this awful day.
Read Matthew 6.1-5, 16; Mark 7.6-13; Luke 11.39-52; meditate on Matthew 6.1-5 .
Preparation
1. Who is a hypocrite? How are hypocrites identified?
2. How do hypocrites relate to God’s Word? What do they prefer instead?
Meditation
Jesus points to the bad examples of spiritual life. Hypocrites make a show of their righteousness, giving and doing good works for others to see and admire. The Messenger of the covenant has a word of warning for them: If all they’re seeking is the praise of men for their good works, that’s all they’ll ever realize (v. 5). God hates hypocrisy, and His judgment against it can be severe, as we see Jesus’ “woes” on the hypocrites in Luke 11.
Jesus says that our focus in all our works of righteousness must be on the heavenly Father. We want to be seen by Him to be doing works of true Kingdom righteousness. Thus, we will prepare before Him, seeking His will in prayer concerning the work of each day (Matt. 6.10ff; cf. Ps. 90.16, 17). We will not advertise our good works. We will do our works from the heart, in self-denying love, keeping focused on the Father, Who is perfect, and Whose love we seek to emulate in all we do.
Hypocrites cast the Word of God aside, preferring instead the “traditions of men” (Mk. 7.8, 13; cf. Ps. 50.16, 17). They seek temporal rewards—recognition, status—and Jesus said that’s all they’ll ever know (Matt. 6.2).
The same Message Who offers the promise of eternal life for all who repent, believe, and follow Him holds out dire warnings of wrath and condemnation to those who merely play at religion or see it as a way of advancing their status. Keep a close watch on your heart against every form of hypocrisy.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“But woe to you Pharisees!
For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs,
and pass by justice and the love of God.
These you ought to have done,
without leaving the others undone” (Lk. 11.42).
Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 22.37-40).
It is important to note how many things in Scripture are outlined according to the Ten Commandments. So far, we have seen that The Lord’s Prayer and The Beatitudes have fit that model, and now we see that Jesus’ teaching to a lawyer also follows this pattern. The first and greatest commandment mirrors the first four (Ex. 20.1-11) and the second covers the last six (Ex. 20.12-17).
So when Jesus called out the Pharisees’ hypocrisy, He told them they should keep the Law; and in keeping the Law remember, and not “pass by justice and the love of God”. It is all a piece and cannot be broken apart.
We cannot show love to God or others unless we keep His Law. It is as simple as that (Jn. 14.15; 15.14).
We will not succeed in walking the Christian life apart from the whole counsel of God. It is impossible to do.
And the sooner we realize that, as the Body of Christ, the better things will be for the Church and the world.
“Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.
Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness.
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way.
Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You.
Turn away my reproach which I dread, for Your judgments are good.
Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me in Your righteousness” (Ps. 119.33-40).
We will do our works from the heart, in self-denying love, keeping focused on the Father, Who is perfect, and Whose love we seek to emulate in all we do…keeping a close watch on our hearts against every form of hypocrisy.
Jesus, Who kept the Law perfectly, leaving nothing undone, said, “Follow Me”.
Reflection
1. How might you be able to know if you were beginning to be a hypocrite? What should you do then?
2. What are some things you can do to keep from becoming a hypocrite?
3. What does it mean to keep the Law of God from the heart? What were the Pharisees and scribes doing?
Those who desire to be greeted by everyone in the marketplace and anxiously consider it a great matter to have the foremost seats in the synagogue do not differ in any way from graves that do not appear as graves. On the outside, they are beautifully decorated but are full of all impurity. Cyril of Alexandria (375-444), Commentary on Luke, Homily 84
Pray Psalm 50.14-23.
Wait on the Lord in silence as the Spirit searches your soul. Call on Him to guard you against any hypocrisy or compromise of your faith. Seek the filling of the Spirit for the day ahead.
Sing Psalm 50.14-23.
(Austrian Hymn: Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken)
“Sacrifice of thanks now render; pay to God your solemn vows;
let the troubled, each offender, seek Him in the midst of woes.
In the day of strife draw near Him; He will hear, and He will save.
Honor God, rejoice, and fear Him, give to Him your grateful praise.
“All of you My Word despising, who are you to claim My grace?
Praise may from your lips be rising, but you scorn Me to My face.
You approve of all transgressions, scheme against your mother’s son!
I will crush your vain aggressions and destroy what you have done.
“Reckon this, My sinful people, lest My wrath consume you whole:
None shall thwart Me when I seek to crush and break your sin-stiff soul.
He who thanks to Me addressing, follows after what is good,
He shall know the way of blessing coming from the hand of God.”
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast is concentrating on praying the psalms to seek revival—why we should and what we might expect. Do you ever wonder about what God’s will for you is? Patrick—echoing Paul—makes it clear, as you can see in last week’s Crosfigell. Our current ReVision series, “Pray for Your Church”, teaches us how to pray for the ministries of our church, beginning with worship. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
