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Jesus Challenged Hypocrisy
April 20, 2024

Jesus came to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and that message challenged the religious practices of His day, which were steeped in hypocrisy. Jesus challenged hypocrisy throughout His earthly ministry and throughout the New Testament we will see it is possible today for us to be a hypocrite when we think we are religious.

Hypocrisy was a problem during Old Testament times. In Proverbs we are told that hypocrisy destroys people, and contrasts hypocrisy with knowledge, which delivers people.

Proverbs 11:8-11
The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead. An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered. When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

Today hypocrisy is thought of as having moral standards or beliefs that one’s behavior does not conform to, and from Proverbs we are clued in to the concept that hypocrisy also stems from a lack of knowledge, showing that some have no idea what moral standards or beliefs are aligned to what the Bible teaches. These are people who claim to be religious, but don’t act religious, because they don’t even understand what they are supposed to be doing religiously.

Jesus not only challenged the religious practices of His day, but because the religious practices of His day were steeped in the traditions of people and not what was written in the scripture, Jesus quickly pointed out those people were acting with hypocrisy. These were people observing a religion with a gap in their knowledge regarding that religion. There were many practices Jesus observed during His day that if we carefully look at, we will see today.

For instance, some people are charitable so that they can be noticed for being charitable. Jesus warned not to be charitable for the sake of being noticed, because with God acts of charity only count when charity is done for the sake of charity with nothing expected in return.

Some people like to appear religious by how they pray. Jesus pointed out that it is hypocritical to pray to be noticed by others, including purposely praying because there is an audience to watch. Jesus also warned against long, repetitive prayers. Jesus then gave an example of how to pray. It’s interesting how some will repeat this example of how to pray again and again after being told to avoid vain repetitions. With God prayer is not about the length of our prayer or any secret code words we might use. Instead, God gives us broad outline areas to pray for with the details filled in by us privately and through faith.

Jesus warned against holding grudges and not forgiving those who have wronged us, telling us that if we do not forgive those who have wronged us, God will not forgive us of our trespasses. He warned against participating in religious rituals, like fasting, for the sake of being noticed by others. What we do religiously is between us and God and needs to be done privately, not so that other people will notice.

Jesus also warned about getting our priorities straight. When our priorities are wrong, hypocrisy will creep in. Jesus warned about focusing on physical wealth when we should be focusing on spiritual wealth. He made it very clear that we cannot serve two masters, that we can only serve one, and we must choose that which is spiritual.

Matthew 6:1-24
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Jesus taught that it is hypocritical to judge others and clearly taught that we should not judge lest we be judged. He advised that if we seek to judge others and ignore our own issues, we are hypocritical. He taught that we are to examine ourselves first before coming to any conclusion about others, and with that we would circle back to His words to judge not.

Matthew 7:1-5
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Jesus taught it is hypocritical to place greater emphasis on a human tradition than what is taught in the Bible. The disciples were called out by the scribes and Pharisees for not ceremonially washing their hands, which violated longstanding traditions. Jesus replied that they, the scribes and Pharisees, violated the law of God by their traditions. The scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus with a concern over hand washing and Jesus showed a concern with honoring their mother and father. He called them hypocrites for teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.

Jesus then took the opportunity to explain that what defiles a person is not what they eat but what they do and say. He was told that His words offended the Pharisees and Jesus replied that they were spiritually blind and would lead other spiritually blind people to a place of trouble. Because the disciples did not yet have the Holy Spirit, they did not understand what Jesus was teaching, and Jesus had to specifically point out that what a person eats does not defile them, but evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and blasphemies do defile a person.

Matthew 15:1-20
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Jesus was showing that hypocrisy can divert our focus from what is spiritually important. The Pharisees and Sadducees approached Jesus seeking a sign from him. Jesus responded by telling them they lived for signs. He explained they could understand their weather but not understand the signs of the times, and then told them only one sign would be given to them, the sign of the prophet Jonah.

We should not be seeking signs from God. Interestingly, the one sign given by Jesus was for the prophet Jonah who was three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish. Other gospel accounts show Jesus would be in the tomb for three days and three nights, and yet many claiming to be Christians observe a Good Friday crucifixion and Easter Sunday resurrection where it is impossible to get three days and three nights because they focus on tradition more than what is written in the Bible.

Jesus also warned the disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and He meant to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus knew that their religious focus was out-of-kilter with what was in scripture. The disciples not having the Holy Spirit thought Jesus was initially speaking of bread.

Matthew 16:1-12
The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

A similar passage from Luke shows hypocrisy does not hide the truth. Jesus taught that even things done in hidden will be revealed and made known.

Luke 12:1-4
In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

Later, the Pharisees polled each other to see how they might be able to entrap Jesus through His own words. Their thought process was if Jesus would hang himself through His words, they would have no need to take action. They approached Jesus with gracious words and then asked Him if it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar. Jesus called them hypocrites for trying to trip Him up. Jesus then explained we give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God those things that are God’s.

Matthew 22:15-22
Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

Jesus warned the disciples about religious hypocrisy, even when religious hypocrisy was found with those having religious authority. He told them to not disobey religious authority, and also taught not to become like them. He explained that those overflowing with religious authority typically expect others to do things they themselves would never do. Jesus showed how the religious elite like to appear to be the religious elite, but that they needed to focus on humbling themselves.

He called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for they closed the door to the Kingdom of God, refused the message of the Kingdom of God, and had no patience for those who sought the Kingdom of God. He showed how these same people acted religiously but used that show for personal gain, even if the cost was born by a widow. Jesus taught that they actively sought people to be adherents to their religious teachings and yet used their religious teachings to make others out to be evil, including those who practiced their teachings. He also showed that for these people wealth was more important that what was spiritual, and that which was physical was more important than that what was spiritual.

Jesus showed the scribes and Pharisees would focus on smaller matters of the law, like being exact in tithing and would ignore what was spiritually of importance, like judgment, mercy, and faith. These were the same people who would focus so much attention in being perfect in a very small matter that they ignored a much larger matter creeping into their lives. He showed that those who appear outwardly righteous but who are full of sin and hypocrisy, are like dead decaying people.

Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because while they relished in religious monuments, like the tombs of the prophets, they never considered that they were descendants of those who killed the prophets. He explained that among them would be sent prophets, wise men, and scribes some of whom would be killed, and others would be persecuted.

Matthew 23:1-36
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Jesus called people hypocrites for developing practices about the Sabbath that made no sense and seemed contradictory. For instance, Jesus called people hypocrites when they would help a farm animal on the Sabbath and yet refuse to help a person on the Sabbath.

Luke 13:10-17
And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

Paul told the Romans to not judge others for doing what they were doing. Not only would this be hypocritical, but it is a quick way to bring judgment from God, because with God there is no respect of persons.

Romans 2:1-11
Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.

Lying itself is a bold form of hypocrisy as a spoken lie violates one of the commandments. We can also live a lie and live with hypocrisy. There is no way we can claim to love God and hate our brother. People who do this are clearly called liars in the Bible, but they also are hypocrites.

1 John 4:17-21
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Lies and hypocrisy originate with Satan. You see, it was Satan who was created in perfection until iniquity was found within him. Those who choose lies and hypocrisy over what is true are not of God.

John 8:42-47
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Those who do not keep the commandments of God are also liars, and by extension they are also hypocrites.

1 John 2:1-6
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

If all we do is hear the word of God and do not act on it, we are hypocrites. We cannot be hypocrites. We cannot forget that pure and undefiled religion is to visit the widows and orphans in their trouble and to keep ourselves unspotted from this world.

James 1:19-27
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Paul wrote to Timothy and explained that in the latter days some will depart from the faith being seduced by spirits and devils to the point they speak lies in hypocrisy. These are people who were once enlightened to the truth and have chosen darkness, and they are hypocrites.

1 Timothy 4:1-5
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

What can we do to keep hypocrisy and lies far from us? We need to embrace what James writes knowing that the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy knowing that the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

James 3:13-18
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Jesus did come to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and He did challenge the religious practices of His day, which were steeped in hypocrisy. As disciples of Jesus, we cannot allow hypocrisy or lies to have any place in who we are as the Church of God.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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