True faith or dangerous games? - 5 November 2024

There is a big difference between true faith and hypocrisy. In this chapter of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns the first readers against the influence of the Pharisees in their community. The Pharisees were a religious party in Judah, they saw themselves as the morality police of society. Their whole religious regime was built on their interpretation of the Law of Moses, but expanded with their own additions in the Mishnah. They had the image of religion, but lost the heart of a relationship with God along the way. It was their normal practice to pray loudly on the street corners and in the synagogues, for all to admire their piety. Their prayers were often self-centred, like the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:10-13 – the Pharisee thanked God that he was not as sinful as the tax collector standing alongside him.

It seems strange that some people could have been so misguided in their beliefs, that religion could be used for personal gain. The Pharisees used good words, but their lives did not carry the message of God’s love. This is hypocrisy, to give yourself out as a child of God, but you do not live the life of love associated with faith. And it is still happening today. It is scary how many fraudsters have Bible verses on their stationary, used to mislead people. When I was younger, it was a trend to have a sticker of a fish on your car to show the world you were a follower of Christ. Later on, it became fashion to wear a WWJD (What would Jesus do?) wrist band. Some people wear a cross to show their belief in Christ. And there is nothing wrong with these things if your lifestyle and behaviour correspond with the message of Christ.

Religion for the sake of being seen by people is hypocrisy. The Gospel of Matthew goes to great length to show it as an aberration in God’s eyes. The opposite of hypocrisy is a life of faith walked with Jesus. It calls for a person to truly love the Lord and obey his commands. The foundation of such a life is not the praise of people, but the honest desire to honour God in all we do and say. A life of faith is a life of prayer; we will go into it a bit deeper tomorrow. The prayer of a true child of God differs a lot from the selfish prayer of a hypocrite.

Prayer: Lord, protect me from any form of hypocrisy in my life. Examine my heart, test me to see if I am on the right path and lead me on your way. May my faith grow out of a living relationship with you, Lord Jesus. May my life bear witness to your goodness and mercy, and may my prayers honour you alone. Amen.