Overcoming Hypocrisy
August 9
Think About It …
• Why do some people object to “organized
religion”?
• Jesus confronted the hypocrisy of “organized
religion” in His day
– We must confront hypocrisy in our lives also
Right Relationship with Christ
• What are some synonyms for “hypocrite”?
• Listen for why Jesus accuses the Pharisees of
being hypocrites.
Listen for why Jesus accuses the
Pharisees of being hypocrites.
Matthew 23:23-24 (NIV) "Woe to you, teachers
of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and
cummin. But you have neglected the more
important matters of the law--justice, mercy
and faithfulness. You should have practiced
the latter, without neglecting the former. [24]
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but
swallow a camel.
Right Relationship with Christ
• What glaring contrasts existed in the lives of
the Pharisees?
Faithful Observance
Neglected Activity
• What oxymoron did Jesus use?
• What hyperbole (exaggeration) did Jesus use?
Right Relationship with Christ
• How is it easier to focus on doing the little
things, those less personal, than the big ones?
• What did Jesus emphasize in His example of
straining at gnats but swallowing a camel?
• How could the Pharisees have become so
caught up in following the Law that they
missed what God really expected?
Right Relationship with Christ
• What kinds of nitpicky rules and regulations
tend to blind us to more serious sins?
• The Pharisees:
– Controlled the synagogues
– Numbered about 6000 men at any time
– Chief interpreters of Jewish legalism
– Expanded on Ten Commandments to include 400
more rules
• Insisted everyone else should follow
Right Relationship with Christ
• Why do you suppose they would not be
willing to demonstrate justice, mercy,
righteousness?
• This was a disconnect between
– what they taught about righteousness
– the way they lived
 Thus Jesus labeled them as hypocrites
Behind Hypocritical Masks
• How are masks used today?
• Masks were worn by Greek and Roman actors
to help portray their character
– hypocrite meant “mask wearer” or “actor”
– Jews considered anything to do with acting would
be ungodly
• had to do with other gods
• were often bawdy and coarse
Behind Hypocritical Masks
• Jews used word “hypocrite” to describe
– a liar
– a deceiver
– someone who hid true nature behind a mask
• Listen for how the religious leaders were
hypocrites.
Listen for how the religious leaders
were hypocrites.
Matthew 23:25-26 (NIV) "Woe to you, teachers
of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
clean the outside of the cup and dish, but
inside they are full of greed and selfindulgence. [26] Blind Pharisee! First clean the
inside of the cup and dish, and then the
outside also will be clean.
Behind Hypocritical Masks
• What was the religious practice Jesus referred
to?
• What was Jesus’ suggestion as to how they
cleaned the cups and dishes?
• So what was Jesus’ point? What was the
analogy?
• How might Jesus have made an accusation to
today’s religious culture … maybe even within
our own church?
Listen for more examples of
hypocrisy.
Matthew 23:27-28 (NIV) "Woe to you, teachers
of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
are like whitewashed tombs, which look
beautiful on the outside but on the inside are
full of dead men's bones and everything
unclean. [28] In the same way, on the outside
you appear to people as righteous but on the
inside you are full of hypocrisy and
wickedness.
Jesus Makes Us Alive Inside
• The Law required avoidance of all things
unclean
– certain foods
– anything that was dead
• What would painting or whitewashing the
outside of a burial tomb accomplish?
• In what ways do people sometimes fake the
Christian life and “whitewash” a life that is
dead?
Jesus Makes Us Alive Inside
• God desires a relationship through Christ as
our Lord … not through following rules to earn
our way into God’s presence. How can we
build or pursue that relationship?
• How does coming to know the Lord better,
change the view of our inward lives?
Application
• What attitudes or “matters of the heart” do
you need to confess to God today so that your
inside looks as good as your outside?
– 1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.
– Ephes. 1:7 (NIV) In him we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in
accordance with the riches of God's grace
Application
• What could you do to help a young Christian
grow stronger this week?
– Guide him or her to a stronger relationship with
Jesus
– Demonstrate by your life inner qualities of
righteousness
– Do away with hypocrisy – confess your need for
their prayers for you also
•
Application
The Masked Prayer
Leader: Lord, we come to you in prayer—
wearing masks. We know
there are things that we hide from one another.
Group: We know there are things we’d like to
hide from you.
All: But you see all things.
Leader: You see behind our masks.
All: You see behind our lies.
Leader: You see us as we are.
All: You see what we would like to be.
Leader: Lord, help us to realize that only you
can make us clean.
Group: Help us to realize that only you can make
us pure.
All: Lord, make us honest.
Leader: Don’t let us think that we can fool you
by fooling ourselves.
All: Lord, unmask us.
Leader: Don’t let us fool ourselves into believing
that others can’t see
through our lies.
All: Lord, unmask us.
Leader: Don’t let us be hypocrites, Lord. Let us
be true.
All: Lord, unmask us.
Overcoming Hypocrisy
August 9