No one wants to be a hypocrite. The word itself carries a sting of pretension and inconsistency that most of us instinctively reject. Yet Jesus’ extended confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23 shows how easily religious people can slide into hypocrisy when their hearts and practices drift from God. How can I avoid hypocrisy?
Make sure your service is about Jesus instead of self (Matt. 23:1-12). Jesus begins by telling the crowds to listen to the Pharisees’ teaching but not to imitate their lives (v.1-3). Their concept of righteousness was fundamentally flawed. Outward conformity to the law is never enough. Keeping up appearances of godliness for ourselves or our families does not satisfy God. Their concept of service was equally distorted. They laid heavy burdens on others while refusing to lift a finger themselves (v.4). They commanded but did not serve. Philippians 2:3-4 calls us to esteem others better than ourselves and to look out for their interests. The Pharisees performed their works to be seen as great (v.5-12). They broadened their phylacteries—small boxes containing Scripture worn on the hand and forehead in obedience to Deuteronomy 6:8 and 11:18—and lengthened the tassels on their garments (Num. 15:38-39; Deut. 22:12). They sought the places of honor, respectful greetings, and flattering titles. Jesus is always deserving of this reverence, and it should be obvious to me that I am not. If we treat the church primarily as a place that exists to meet our needs, we have inverted the gospel.
Make sure your service is about people (Matt. 23:13-22). Hypocrisy in me harms others just as well as myself. The Pharisees shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces (v.13). Those who wanted to enter were hindered by misleading teaching and example. Our attitudes and actions can either open or close doors for those under our influence—children who notice when parents do not prioritize the Lord, or friends who recognize part-time Christianity. The Pharisees also “devoured widows’ houses” while making long prayers for show (v.14). Worse, their converts became “twice as much a son of hell” as themselves (v.15). They were recruiting people to their system rather than to God. Their blind guidance on oaths further revealed greed (v.16-22). By inventing distinctions between the temple and the gold, or the altar and the gift, they created loopholes that violated God’s commands to honor parents and care for the needy (Mark 7:11-13). They claimed to be helping others, but they only made it more difficult for them to go to heaven.
Make sure your service has the right priority (Matt. 23:23-24). Pharisees strained out a gnat while swallowing a camel (v.23-24). They were sticklers for details while missing the big picture. They meticulously tithed herbs but neglected the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Details matter, yet perfect can become the enemy of the good. Those we seek to win to Christ will not have perfect lives; we may need to overlook lesser issues temporarily while helping them with greater ones.
Make sure you serve from a pure heart (Matt. 23:25-28). Jesus then compares them to cups clean on the outside but filthy within, and to whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful yet contain death (v. 25-28). We must ask what we are truly trying to accomplish in doing good—encouraging others or seeking the praise of others. God can tell the difference.
Make sure your service puts you in the right company (Matt. 23:29-36). Finally, Jesus warns that the same generation that built monuments for the prophets their fathers rejected would continue the pattern of rejecting God’s messengers. Claiming to be on the right side is not the same as standing there. Avoiding hypocrisy means aligning with those who pursue peace and unity among God’s people, defending rather than persecuting faithful servants. Our words must match our actions and values.
Even hypocrites can find forgiveness—complete and total. Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem reveals a heart still longing to gather the unwilling under His wings. The invitation remains open (Matt. 23:37-39). By making our service about Jesus, about people, about the right priorities, from a pure heart, and in the right company, we can walk free from the trap of hypocrisy and into the blessing of discipleship.
-Ross Haffner