Luke 12:1-3, Matthew 23, 2 Timothy 3:5
The Infection of Hypocrisy

I. Avoiding Infectious Diseases
1. We have been learning a lot about infections, “social distancing,” “ppe”, N95 masks, etc.
2. People are willing to go to extra-ordinary measures rather than risk of catching an infectious disease.
3. Being radically committed to avoiding an infection can be a good thing.
4. Are we as committed to avoid other harmful things that are also caught from other people?
5. What are we willing to give up to keep ourselves from what would harm our spiritual lives?
II. The Disease (Luke 12:1)
A. Infection in First Century Terms
1. The Lord Jesus warns us against the “leaven [the yeast] of the Pharisees.” Yeast can be transferred.
2. They could see that if someone took a pinch from one lump of dough it could leaven a second lump.
3. This was the closest thing that they understood to an infection, yeast being contagious.
4. Jesus was saying, in our terms, ‘Beware of the infection of hypocrisy.
B. The Taxonomy of Hypocrisy
1. Hypocrisy is a focus on external things, on the forms of religion, not the relationship with the Lord.
2. The person infected with hypocrisy practices his righteousness before other people, to be seen.
3. The hypocrite is a functional atheist. He doesn’t really believe that God will reveal his secrets.
III. The Symptoms (Matthew 23:4)
A. Love of Rules
1. The hypocrite loves rules because he then can keep them and show off his rule-keeping.
2. They will challenge others to keep the rules so everyone will be impressed with how dutiful they are.
B. Displays (Matthew 23:5-6)
1. In their day, the hypocrites “made their phylacteries broad”: little boxes on their forehead.
2. Today their facebook status shows how apparently spiritual they are. They’re for self-promotion.
3. They especially love being honored. Some want to be pastors for the wrong reason, to be seen.
4. The hypocrite is all about recognition. They’ll spend hundreds of dollars on an ornate “pulpit chair.”
C. Titles (Matthew 23:7-12)
1. Some people love to be called “reverend” or “bishop” or “doctor” (without an earned degree.).
2. Some religious people don’t put much stock in education but they love the titles of being educated.
3. Accreditation shows which institutions give a real education and which ones are diploma mills.
D. Empty Words (Matthew 23:16-22)
1. The hypocrites of Jesus’ day debated when you could make a commitment and then break it.
2. They said, only some commitments are binding. Jesus twice calls them “blind”.
3. Someone said that making a covenant to a church is not binding, not like a wedding vow.
4. Hypocrites want ways so they can be excused for making a commitment they walk away from.
5. “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil,” (Mt. 5:37.)
6. In Psalm 15 the person God approves of keeps his (or her) oath even if it hurts.
7. Above all the commands, be a person of integrity, a promise-keeper; your ‘yes’ is yes (James 5:12).
8. A lot of people today make promises when it seems useful. We make commitments when we feel like making them so that we’ll keep them when we don’t feel like keeping them.
IV. The Treatment (2 Timothy 3:9)
A. Social Distancing
1. “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” Their religion is an empty shell.
2. “Avoid such people.” Be careful with hypocrites because their condition is contagious.
3. Once one person starts acting, others catch it. It spreads until it contaminates the whole church.
4. Beware of being exposed to hypocrisy and the way that it gets you to think it’s normal.
5. Is it a shock to you if you encounter a Christian who honestly admits his or her weaknesses?
6. Does having racists as church members seem acceptable? Pastors who don’t keep their word?
B. Disinfecting
1. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. Call it what it is. Don’t enable it by accepting the excuses.
2. Tell the truth about sins. Let the sunshine of truth kill the pathogen of hypocrisy.
3. Confession is a disinfectant. Confess your sins and weaknesses to each other and to God.
V. Invitation: Beware of that deadly infection. God will make our reality plain for all to see. So, let’s not try to fool God. Expose our dark hearts to the bright light of God. Let the Word shine in us, expose us, , so we’ll be humbled and so beat back the infection of hypocrisy. Let’s believe that God sees who we really are. Let’s believe that being right with God matters most.