Hypocrisy, the Contamination of the Heart

Summary

This morning I am going to jump right in, ‘cause I cannot think of any cute stories about hypocrisy or people judging people, and I cannot even think of a good joke.

In Mark’s gospel this morning Jesus speaks a hard truth to the Pharisees, as well as his other listeners.  To the Pharisees for they are the first accusers, the first passing judgment, but I know that each person whom was listening to what Jesus had to say also left feeling convicted, except perhaps for the foolish ones, meaning those who were so naive of their own behavior that they could never look at themselves critically.

No, Jesus, as he usually did, was speaking very openly and to the point as he berated the Pharisees for their accusations against his disciples for eating with unclean hands.

Now, in our day and age when we understand the scientific reasons for washing our hands before eating, or cooking, or handling a newborn, we wash to keep sickness and disease from spreading, this interchange between Jesus and the Pharisees seems a bit quaint at first.  But, but we very quickly see that we might not be understanding everything.

The Pharisees did not care about germs, for they did not know about germs.  No, what the Jewish leaders were accusing the disciples of, was disobeying God’s laws, and so not living as a righteous person.  For they took the breaking of the one rule, the law to ceremonially wash one’s hands, and they expanded it to mean that the disciples were not righteous in the eyes of God.

Now, as we see, obviously Jesus did not understand it that way, for he immediately knew what they were doing.  The Pharisees, the self-appointed watchdogs of God’s law, were casting judgment upon Jesus’ followers, and upon him.  Jesus’ replied right to the point, using Isaiah’s words to call them what they were, hypocrites.

Ah, how familiar this all is, isn’t it?  Hypocrisy has not changed much, has it?

No.  We humans still struggle with the same sins that the ancients did, don’t we?  Yes, we can all very quickly fall into hypocrisy, and we do.  Sometimes, it’s right out there, aloud to another person, or a whole bunch of people.  And other times…other times that hypocrisy is only heard in our own heads, as we cast judgment upon another.  Either way, though, our Lord knows, and I suppose he must react in the same way, that he did with the Pharisees.

Jesus quoted Isaiah saying, “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me.”

Wow, that’s rough.

You see, Jesus cares how we think about other people, and he really cares about how speak about them, and to them, about each other, and to each other.  Jesus cares.

Jesus also knows each of our hearts, and our inner thoughts, and knows that none of us have the right, nor the ability to stand in judgment of another, for judgment belongs to God.

Now please, let me say that anyone who is speaking or acting in a conscientious and deliberate manner in order to discriminate, to oppress, to hurt, or to destroy another person or people needs to have their words and actions judged, and acted against, be he or she a bully, a political leader, or a dictator.  So, that is different than what we are speaking of this morning.

No, this morning we are talking about the sins listed in the second half of Jesus’ list at the end of the reading…”envy, insults, arrogance and foolishness.”

How often are either envy or arrogance the reason that we cast judgment upon another person for their words or actions?

Often, perhaps usually even.  Why, because envy and arrogance are the two sides of the same coin, the coin of comparison.  It seems we humans are hardwired to constantly compare ourselves to the other people we meet, and being a Christian does not stop this reality.  In comparing ourselves to another, we either find ourselves lacking, meaning that we react with envy to whom they are, or what they have, or we find the other person lacking, and so we respond in arrogance to them and whom they are, or what they have.  Either way, our response to them is wrong, and leads to words and actions that are sinful, and thus hurtful.

As Jesus said, “It’s from the inside, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come…” and then, as we know, sinful and hurtful words and actions follow.

What Jesus is really attacking here though is the sin of hypocrisy, a sin that not only hurts individuals, but ultimately really hurts God, through hurting Jesus’ body, the church.

When Christians go around condemning others, speaking of others in judgment, in Jesus’ name it hurts the church, as well as the person being condemned, for, that judgment ultimately whiplashes back upon the judger, the condemner.  It does, it always does, for the judger, the condemner is human too, and their sin will always be revealed, in time, as well.  In America we say, “The truth will out.”

And so, when a Christian is spending their time judging and condemning a person, or a people, they are usually doing it in Jesus’ name.  Of course that is wrong, for even Jesus said, “I have not come to judge, but to save.”

So, when a Christian is heard to condemn another, and then their sins are revealed, their hypocrisy rebounds upon the church, and ultimately upon our Lord Jesus.  So, rather than bringing glory to God, they do the opposite, they tarnish God’s image in the eyes of the world.

I know several people over the years who for some reason, feel it their duty to be the person who goes and warns people of another person’s sins, or evilness.  They often warn either someone new to a church, or someone whom they think should know.  They often cloak their judgment and condemnation with words such as, “So, you can avoid this person.” or, “So, you don’t fall to their sins.”

Yet, these folks don’t realize, or seem to see that they are sinning in their own words and actions, as they cloak their actions in a wrong understanding of ‘righteousness’ or, ‘sanctification’.  What we need to realize is that judgment is not our duty as Christians.  Condemnation needs to be left to God, for God is the judge.  When our Lord and Savior time and again forgives rather than condemns, where does that leave us?

It leaves us living lives of forgiveness.  We are forgiven by our Savior, that is how he saves, and all that we can do is forgive, try and forgive the ‘other’ as well.

Think of when Jesus teaches about removing the log from our own eye, before pointing out the speck in another’s eye.  The only way to remove the log from our own eye, meaning the sin from our own life, is to turn to Jesus for forgiveness and strength for renewal.  Jesus is our model, our mentor, our Rabbi who teaches us, through his words and his actions how to live, and how to live in Godly relationship with each other, in love and forgiveness.

Listen again to the words of Psalm 15, you can read them as well from the bulletin.

“1 O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? 2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; 3 who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors; 4 in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; 5 who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.”

Let us live as Jesus Christ leads. Let us follow, and live lives of forgiveness, both in receiving as well as in graciously giving, that all may encounter Jesus through his love, and not our self-righteous hypocrisy.

Amen.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.