Jesus Hates Hypocrisy

Jesus hates Hypocrisy

Our Gospel reading today shows clearly that Jesus hadn’t read Dale Carnegie’s book How to win friends and influence people

Because the way Jesus spoke to the Scribes and Pharisees in this passage was tough and he wasn’t out to make friends that day

The setting is a meal. Jesus had been invited to have a meal at the home of a Pharisee.

So why was he so harsh?

The Pharisees were the closest people in Jesus’ society to practising Christians today.

They knew the right doctrine but put many people of their God - Yahweh by the way they lived

They kept the letter of the law but not the spirit of the Law

They brought God’s name into disrepute by the way they lived.

One commentator Darrell L Bock in his book put the matter like this

The general complaint is that the Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish but inside there is the filth of extortion and greed.

Bock goes on to say that Jesus

“is committed to challenging these people who claim to represent God and His ways”

(Darrell L Bock: Luke The NIV Application Commentary pages 330-331)

In other words we are called by Christ to walk the talk

Ralph Waldo Emerson summed up what Jesus was saying when he said - in another context: “Who you are /speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you are saying.”

In other words a person’s actions and character reveal their true nature more powerfully and undeniably than their spoken word

Story: When I was at Chelsea College, London University (1973-1976) I played in the College Chess Team.

I knew I was good bit I was pretty arrogant about it. I wanted to play Number 1 board and I let everyone know.

One of the team pulled me aside and said

“Martin I am not a Christian but I have friends who are. The way you are acting is letting the side down.”

It hurt but I knew it was true, I wasn’t living the Christian life. I was President of the Christian Union and I was letting the side down

I wanted to evangelise but my life didn’t live up to what I was saying. I was still rotten in the inside

This was about 50 years ago and this is the first time I have told this story in public

Jesus’ disciples too had to grow in faith

Jesus called James and John the sons of Zebedee Boan/erges which means Sons of Thunder possibly because they were strong and fiery preachers but probably also because of their fiery temper.

We read in Luke 9:51-56 how they asked Jesus if they could call down fire from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village that had refused to show them hospitality

Yet when you read John’s Gospel and his three letters 1 John, 2 John and 3 John - you can see how John the apostle had grown more Christ like and calmed down from being a Son of Thunder

How we live affects our Christian calling

May I leave you with a story

Story: Richard Wurmbrand was a great hero of mine when I was a young Christian.

I heard him speak once in person and there was something holy about his whole person

Richard Wurmbrand in his book "In God's Underground" tells this true story.

Wurmbrand was a Christian Lutheran Minister who was put in prison for his faith in Romania by the Communist authorities for his faith.

Wurmbrand and a young Communist lad, who would have nothing to do with Christianity, shared a cell together.

Rations were very low in the prison, and yet Wurmbrand used to share his bread with that young atheist.

One day Wurmbrand was telling the young man about an orthodox abbot, a Christian man of whom it was said that he was like Jesus.

The young man said to Wurmbrand "If Jesus is like you, I would like to know him"

I wonder if anyone could say that about me!