Are You Keeping Someone From Heaven?

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. Matthew 23:27 (CSB)

What do you call someone whose actions contradict what their mouth professes?

A politician!

Just kidding, the answer is a hypocrite.

And hypocrites can be found in the Christian arena just as readily as in the political arena. They say one thing but their actions say another.

Sadly, we just about expect and accept hypocrites in the political sphere and aren’t the least bit surprised when their hypocrisy is brought to light. But when a hypocrite is exposed in the Christian community, even the political hypocrites have something to say!

Why is that? Why is there more condemnation when preachers are found embezzling money than when politicians are found with their hand in the cookie jar? Or how about when a politician is exposed for having an affair vs. a church leader exposed for the same thing?

Well, I imagine it has to do with whom these Christians represent.

You see, there are many in this world who reject Jesus’ sacrifice and salvation because the gospel message hasn’t yet penetrated their heart. Therefore, when one of His so-called followers acts in a way contrary to His teachings, the not-yet-believer has another reason to point a finger at all Christians and laugh at the absurdity of our belief in a savior and eternal life. They have yet another reason to mock the false piety of professed believers thus mocking Jesus Himself.

Would you agree that the hypocrisy of a Christian can further the divide between an unbeliever and Jesus?

Well then, what about the one who hasn’t defiantly refused Jesus but rather struggles with believing He could love them because of who they are or what they've done? What message about our Savior do we give this person when we refuse to sit at their baby shower and instead sit in judgement because they are unwed?

Perhaps the message they receive is that they were right to believe He could never love them. But you and I know that isn’t true.

Do you see how damaging hypocrisy is? How it can keep someone from trusting God?

Hypocrisy is so injurious that Jesus publicly rebukes the sanctimonious Pharisees for theirs. They were religious on the outside but self-righteous on the inside. As such, they were more focused on religious practices than the object of their religion—God.

In Matthew 23:27, we read:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity.”

Now, Jesus didn’t rebuke the Pharisees to make Himself look better. He rebuked them because their religious practices emphasized outward appearance over inward adoration. They were more concerned about following the law than being led by love.

As a result, their burdensome legalistic requirements kept others from having a relationship with God because they presented Him as a strict and unforgiving figure rather than a loving and merciful father. Remember, Jesus was in their midst because of His loving and merciful father and He died for them (and us) because of His loving and merciful father.

Okay, time for another riddle: What is the difference between a Pharisee’s hypocrisy and a Christian’s hypocrisy?

Nothing!

While the Pharisees hypocrisy was rooted in religious practices, the Christian’s hypocrisy is rooted in not practicing their religion. But, both can keep others from the Kingdom of Heaven.

Listen, we can put on our Sunday best, tuck our Bible under our arm, strut through the church’s front doors like we just got baptized in the parking lot, and sit in the front pew every Sunday morning loudly belting out “How Great Thou Art,” but it’s all just whitewash if we are ignoring the needs of others because no one is there to witness what we do or don’t do.

It’s all just whitewash if we aren’t living any differently than those who don’t believe in Jesus. And it’s all just whitewash if we think someone else’s sin is worse than our own.

Friend, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because their words and actions kept others from His Kingdom. Our actions and words can too.  And that’s not fair I see.

So, the next time you see someone in need or living differently than you, will you respond like a follower or a Pharisee?

I must point out though that when we choose to act like a follower of Christ, we don’t get the glory like the Pharisees sought. Jesus does.

It is His attributes on display, not ours. But don’t we put our faith in Him because of His attributes?

And don’t we want others to do the very same?