Hypocrisy Revealed

Lk. 20:20

So they watched Him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch Him in something He said, so as to deliver Him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.

The scribes, chief priests, and Pharisees went to extreme lengths in order to entrap Jesus, but all of their traps involved the hypocrisy that was at the very root of their hearts. Lk. 20 begins with the chief priests and scribes asking a question about His authority. Obviously, Jesus knew their hearts because he answered them with a question that revealed their true hearts. Since any answer that they could give would reveal their agenda, they merely said they didn't know. So Jesus did not answer them either, but instead He told a parable, obviously one that was fairly transparent. The scribes and chief priests knew that it was about them, so they sought to lay hands on them at that very hour. They were pushed against the wall and came back with a violent response. So like the hypocrites that they were, they used pretense. They pretended to be sincere in asking Him another question. But as before, Jesus perceived their craftiness and once more answered them in such a way that their plan was foiled. They were not able to catch Him, but instead marveled at His answer and became silent. How powerful that Jesus reduced them to silence! Then into the mix came some Sadducees who asked a question as well. After Jesus answered their question, some of the scribes admitted Jesus had answered well. They realized that they could no longer ask Him questions. Instead Jesus asked them a question, but before they could answer, Jesus turned to His disciples and said aloud [in the hearing of all the people], Beware of the Scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. Ouch! Big burn! Not only had Jesus foiled their hypocritical line of questioning, but He had exposed them to the people, the very people that they were robbing and deceiving. What was the underlying motive of their lives? Pretense! Their religious actions were for show and their internal motives were for the gratifying of their evil desires. What would be the end result of their lives? Condemnation! The text does not say what their response was, but I can just imagine. Jesus knew their hearts just as He knows the hearts of all people.

What do I see in my heart? Are there roots of hypocrisy?

Father,

Teach me to be honest about what is really in my heart. Reveal to me hypocrisy in whatever form it manifests itself. Give me Your grace and strength to root it out.

In Jesus name,

Amen