ARE
YOU A HYPOCRITE?
MEMORISE
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.
Matthew 6:5
READ
Mark 7:1-6
1 Then came
together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from
Jerusalem.
2 And when
they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with
unwashen, hands, they found fault.
3 For the
Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding
the tradition of the elders.
4 And when
they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other
things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and
pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
5 Then the
Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the
tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6 He answered
and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is
written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from
me.
MESSAGE
Hypocrisy is a type of behaviour in which a person
pretends to have moral standards or opinions, but does not actually live by
them. Hypocrisy is a decadence condemned by the church and society.
Paradoxically, its manifestation is commonplace in both the church and the
society. The Bible warns against and condemns hypocrisy in the strongest terms.
Luke 11:44 says,
“Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear
not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.”
Hypocrisy is manifested in many ways. First, it is
manifested in giving (Matthew 6:1-4). Giving is good and scriptural. A
Christian is expected to give cheerfully, abundantly, sacrificially and
lovingly. We should give our time, money, talents and energy for the expansion
of the kingdom of God and the furtherance of His work on earth. However, when
giving, a hypocrite is pretentious. He either gives sparingly while giving the
impression of abundant giving, or refuses to give while at the same time
passing off as the best giver. A hypocrite wants every act of his giving to be
acknowledged in public. He engages in charitable work simply for self-aggrandizement.
Are you a hypocrite? How do you give? What motives are behind your acts of
charity?
A second area in which hypocrisy finds expression
is in prayer. Prayer is an obligation, and God answers prayers. He enjoins us
to ask and instructed us to pray without ceasing. The hypocrite prays. He
however has a wrong motive for praying. He cannot be said to be praying to God.
A hypocrite prays to be seen of men (Matthew 6:5). Hypocrites do not engage in
secret prayers; they will only pray where men can see and acknowledge them as
prayerful persons. What is the motive behind your prayers? When do you pray?
Why do you pray? How do you pray? Do you limit your prayers to places where men
can see or hear you pray? Do you pray to be acknowledged by men as a prayer warrior?
A third area in which hypocrisy finds expression is in fasting. Fasting is
scriptural. Christians should however not be hypocritical in fasting (Matthew
6:16). A hypocrite fasts in order to be seen by men. He announces his fast and
does things to make men acknowledge the fast. This is unscriptural. Whenever
you fast, let it be between you and God. Finally a hypocrite is fraudulent. He
is dubious, exploitative and through pretexts appears to be religious. Are you
a hypocrite?
ACTION
POINT
If you notice any act of hypocrisy in your life,
repent and turn a new leaf.
BIBLE
IN ONE YEAR
Matthew 19:1-21:27
Job 14:7-17
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