HYPOCRISY

One Sabbath day Jesus was invited to a meal in the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees.  Most of these proud religious people were hated for their hypocrisy.    They loved to wear posh robes and be greeted in the market places as very holy people but sadly they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Jesus told the people to obey their teaching from the Scriptures but not to copy their bad behaviour.  They even robbed widows by praying in their homes and then charging more money for long prayers than for short ones!

Not surprisingly the Pharisees became exceedingly jealous of Jesus because the ordinary people enjoyed His interesting teaching far more than their boring sermons!  Now that Jesus was dining with the Pharisees He was conscious that they were watching Him closely because there was a sick man there and they wondered whether He would heal Him on the Sabbath Day.  Before they could say a word, Jesus read their thoughts and asked this question which He knew they wanted to ask Him!  “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”  There was a silence that could be felt, especially when Jesus took the sick man, healed him and let him go and then asked them this question, “Which of you having a donkey which has fallen into a pit will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath Day?”  Once again there was silence because they knew in their hearts they would rescue a donkey that belonged to them but not one that belonged to somebody else! 

Jesus hated the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and He described them as being like beautiful whitewashed tombs on the outside, but full of dead men’s bones on the inside.  Do read [ Luke chapter 14 ] and [ Matthew chapter 23 ].