Hypocrites

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Good morning, Lord

Father in Heaven, I seek You first-the knowledge of Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Fill my consciousness constantly and complete Your joy in me as I take up my cross and follow...In Jesus' name…

Memory verse:Jeremiah 15:19 ESV

Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.” 

Verse of the day: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Readings: Psalm 84-86 Romans 12

Hell Bound Hypocrites

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” Matthew 23:25–26

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in” (Matt. 23:13).

The first thing we have to say when we read such strong and harsh judgmental language from Jesus is to see it for what it is. It is divine judgment. It is the job of God-not our job.

So what do we do with these strong words? We look in the mirror-ouch.

Any time we hear Jesus use such strong language, we must hear Him tell us to inspect ourselves-to take stock in our own behavior-compare ourselves to His standard of righteousness-our standard Jesus and our our lives are based on our faith in Him and not on standards from anywhere but Him, His Spirit of Truth, and His Holy Word.

The religious life of the ‘big’ Jews in His time was based on laws and rules.

“They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.” Matthew 23:4

Jesus wants us to see the enemy and the world in this. The enemy and the world(Pharisees) set the rules and stand above with a bull whip striking those who fail.

God is like a parent of an infant who is learning to walk-with arms open, saying to each of us, “...come to me” and, “...here is all the strength you need and the wisdom to handle any problems between you and Me and I will catch you when you fall because my love for you is endless”.

Our righteousness is in our faith in Christ making all this our real life. God in Christ in the power of the Spirit makes our lives. How much do we trust Him? Or, do we trust our own power.

It is for God’s judgment to say who is a hypocrite or not-and our job as we look in the mirror.

Tell God you want to be serious about Your faith the way He wants.

...because He loves you, He will do it…

Father in heaven,

Psalm 86:12- “Lord, my God, I will praise you with all my heart. I will honor your name forever.” Your Kingdom come, 11 “Lord, teach me what you want me to do. And I will live by your truth.” Forgive me my wicked laziness. Lead me away from evil.

Lord, my God, who shows mercy,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen