So what is it about hypocrisy as demonstrated by the Pharisees that Jesus took issue with?
For the Pharisees, they had mistaken influence for holiness. This resulted in a lack of care for the people they were supposed to lead. Their consumption of achieving this status of purity often meant they overwhelmed people with detailed interpretations of the law without consideration or mercy. For them, holiness was pursuing status, notoriety, and influence. Jesus was introducing humility as a way to holiness (v12).
2. Hypocrisy wants us to focus more on doing rather than being (v. 5-7).
The Pharisees had endless rules focused on achieving by doing. Pharisees weren’t concerned with the approval of God; Pharisees lived for the approval and recognition of men. It makes sense; it’s easier to be someone who pretends to be something of substance than to do the work it takes to form substance. We see this all the time in how we manage our social media accounts, detailing every perfect angle, using apps to modify our appearance, or only posting the inspiring or positive. Hypocrisy tricks us into thinking if we can play the part, no one will know the difference, but when Jesus came to fulfill the law, He set into motion this idea that true transformation comes when we acknowledge the parts we try to hide from Him.
3. Hypocrisy recognizes the brokenness of others but not our own (v. 8-12).
Jesus was letting the crowd know that only God deserved the respect the Pharisees accumulated for themselves. That the terminology of Rabbi and Father was intended for us to hold God in the place of reverence. When Jesus says, “You have one teacher, and you are all brothers,” He is equalizing the ground for us to look at each other as peers.
When Jesus tells the crowd to center their reverence on God and not people, he is reminding them that none of us are immune to the instruction and guidance that we can only get from our true Father. Hypocrisy will have us out here believing that we are better than those around us.
Our ability to be sober-minded about ourselves and the reality of our brokenness makes us empathetic, curious, and merciful, and most importantly, orients us to a need for a Savior and a guide.
What is the antidote to hypocrisy?
The antidote to hypocrisy in the eyes of God is sincerity. Sincerity has no mask. Sincerity reveals what is real, not what is fake. God desires a sincere heart (Ephsians 6:5), a sincere mind (2 Peter 3:1), a sincere faith (1 Tim. 1:5), a brotherly love (Rom. 12:9-10), and devotion to Him (2 Cor. 11:3).
Until we are sincere with God, it is impossible to surrender to God.
Jesus offers the opportunity to surrender our hypocrisy to Him. To know Him and pursue what He said about being a follower of God.
Where hypocrisy calls us to put on a mask, Jesus calls us to come out of hiding. Where hypocrisy calls us to put on airs, Jesus calls us to humble ourselves.
Where hypocrisy calls us to indulge in solely getting our needs met, Jesus calls us to serve others.