The Danger of Hypocrisy
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The Danger of Hypocrisy (Matt. 6:1-8)
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) is no ordinary sermon. If there was one word that I could use to describe it, I would use the word ‘radical.’ Jesus’ sermon is a radical sermon that cuts through any sense of pride and gets to the heart of what it means to be a real Christian. And I don’t know about you, but I find that scary at times. I find it scary, because it is so radical.
And because of this, there are at least two dangers in coming to the sermon. The first is the danger of legalism – ‘If I’m good enough, then God will accept me.’ But Jesus addresses this danger with the very first words of the sermon: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (5:3). It’s only those who know they can’t obey, and in their poverty depend on God, who in the end are able to obey. It’s only those who are poor in spirit who actually follow Jesus’ commands. So, that’s the first danger: legalism.
The second danger Jesus addresses in our verses today: the danger of hypocrisy – doing the right thing for the wrong reason.
The section begins in 6:1 and ends in v. 18. But we’re only going to be looking at vv. 1-8. In v. 1, Jesus gives the danger of hypocrisy. Then in vv. 2-8, he gives practical ways to avoid and replace it with real spirituality.
Hypocrisy
So first, Jesus warns of the danger of hypocrisy. Look at the very first word that Jesus uses. He says, “Beware.” Beware. Jesus knows the human heart! He knows that when we are told what we ought to do (Ch. 5), life quickly turns into a theatre in which we are the stars; we are the center of attention. And so he says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”
Now, what Jesus is not saying here is that there’s something wrong with righteousness. Righteousness in Matthew 6 means religious observance. But Jesus doesn’t abolish religious observance. Giving, praying, fasting: these are all things that Jesus expects of those who follow him. That’s why he says in v. 2, “when you give,” v. 5, “when you pray,” v. 7, “when you pray,” and v. 14, “when you fast.” So, the problem isn’t righteousness. It’s the motive behind the righteousness. Jesus is addressing the heart. That’s why he says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.” Righteousness is meant for one reason: to please God. But our danger is always to warp it.
I don’t know if you’ve experienced this, but whenever I walk down the street, I’m tempted to look at shop windows. Not so much to look in the shops, but to see myself in the reflection! There are endless opportunities to check ourselves out, everywhere we go – in cars, in stores, in restrooms. And it’s such a picture of the human heart. Apart from God’s grace, our lives are a world of mirrors. And the worst of it all is that we can even use God as a mirror. Instead of us reflecting him, we use him to reflect us. But he won’t have it.
Jesus says, “for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” No reward with the only one who matters, the sun in the solar system, the middle of the wheel that the spokes are meant to go into. We’ll come back to the idea of reward, but notice how he speaks of God: “Your Father who is in heaven.” This God, who owns the universe, a cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50), is your Father if you’ve trusted in Jesus. The very Father of Jesus Christ is your Father! So, Beware! Don’t settle for fame with people, when you can have the smiling face of God looking down on you. This is the danger of hypocrisy.
Real Spirituality
Second, Jesus shows us how to avoid and replace hypocrisy with real spirituality. He doesn’t just say how to avoid it. We tend to think that if we just avoid all of the bad things in life, we’ll be alright. But Jesus goes further than that. He wants us to replace it. Therefore, he gives us two ways to avoid and replace hypocrisy: (1) Secret Devotion (vv. 2-6), and (2) Simple Trust (vv. 7-8).
So first, Secret Devotion. In summary, what Jesus says in vv. 2-6 is that we shouldn’t be like hypocrites. That’s what Jesus says to avoid. The word hypocrite comes from the word for an actor. And so Jesus is saying, ‘don’t put on a mask.’ Don’t use giving and praying like a religious facebook, so that all your friends can see how spiritual you are. But, give and pray in such a way that only God will know: secret devotion. Don’t do things publicly to be seen by people, but do things privately, to be seen by God. However, Jesus is not abolishing public prayer here (again, the problem is doing things to be seen by people). But, he is establishing a principle for private prayer. So, what this means is that if your prayer life is better when you’re with people than when you’re alone with God, then there’s something wrong. You may be in danger of being like a hypocrite. So, Jesus warns you to beware. As a friend of mine recently said, “Secrecy aids sincerity.” So, give in secret, and go to God in secret.
Second, Simple Trust. Jesus says in v. 7, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” How often have I prayed long drawn out prayers, thinking that it’s about how articulate, how passionate, how long I pray? It’s not that those things are wrong in themselves. It’s not that Jesus is abolishing long prayers: he prays a long prayer in John 17! But Jesus tells us here, “Don’t babble.” We so often think superstition is a thing of the East, when in reality it’s alive and kicking in our own sinful hearts. So, Jesus teaches us a simple trust. Look at v. 8, “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Your Father, your Father knows! You’re praying to your Father! And he knows what you need, so you don’t have to twist his arm behind his back. God is not a stingy grandpa, but a giving and loving and powerful Father.
So, in closing, this is really what it’s all about. This is real spirituality: pleasing God our Father. I’ve intentionally left off the idea of ‘reward’ until the end for this reason. We don’t know what our rewards will be in Heaven, and to speculate is to miss the point! The main thing for Jesus is the person giving the reward. Who is the sun of your solar system? Are you a mirror for God or is God a mirror for you? So, when you give, you pray, you fast, you preach, you read, you do activities, do them not because they make you feel good about yourself, but because God your Father in Heaven is pleased. Beware! Why? Because your Father has something better for you. “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Besides spending time with God individually in the Bible and prayer, as well as corporately in relationships within the church family, here are some helpful books and songs for lifting your heart to heaven:
- Books
o The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal (160 pp.). George Whitefield, preacher of the 17th century revival, wrote, “I never knew what true religion was till God sent me this excellent treatise.”
o Knowing God by J.I. Packer (270 pp.). To know God your Father better.
- Songs
o Create in Me a Clean Heart by Keith Green (based on Psalm 51)
o Be Thou My Vision, an Ancient Irish Hymn
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