One of the strongest denunciations ever given to any group of people by Christ as that given to the Scribes and Pharisees. Matthew chapter 23 recounts the scathing sentiments our our Lord upon these religious elitist. It behooves us to examine the character of those Jesus rebuked so that we do not fall into the same pattern of life. It is a sobering thought when one realizes that those upon who Jesus heaped these “woes” were the preachers and college professors of His day.

Jesus denounces the Scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites because they were ignorant of their own faults, cf. Rom. 2:1. First, they would say and not do. “You must do this.” They would say. But, they themselves would not obey their own teaching (Matt. 23:3). Moreover, Jesus says that when they did perform a religious duty it was only for show (Matt. 23:5). There was no sincerity in their obedience and they hadn't a clue of their guilt and condemnation.

Were one to point out these faults, as did Christ, the guilty would stand aghast that such an accusation concerning them could be even remotely considered. They were elitist to the core. What applies to the common rabble does not apply to them. They were completely ignorant of the fact that they stood guilty and condemned before God. Sadly, many folks who attend church may be in the same state. Their hearts may be a black as coal but in their ignorance they still warm a pew and think all is well.

The second mark of a hypocrite is seen in that these Scribes and Pharisees were all talk and no action. Here again, their desire for show and pretense rules their actions, or rather, inactions. If one calls Jesus “Lord” then he should obey Jesus (Luke 6:46). If you don't want Him as Lord, fine, don't obey Him and don't call Him Lord. What makes no sense is those who want Him as Lord but do NOT want to obey Him.

Many who attend church today have their private religious vocabulary down pat but there are no deeds to accompany their talk. Often an elder or preacher will hear someone say, “The preacher (or elders) ought to ....”. Yet when a careful examination is made of this persons own deeds, work and service, it is revealed that he is all talk and no action.

Finally, a third mark of a hypocrite is a love for legalism. A legalist is a person who puts his trust for salvation in his own good works. He also imposes his own standard upon others because for another to break his standard is an offense to him. To break his standard is to say that either he himself is not good or his stand is not good. Whatever the case. He is offended. His religion of salvation by works has no room for the grace of God available in Christ Jesus.

Reading and reflecting on Matthew 23 would be a profitable exercise for every Christian, lest we fall into the traps of hypocrisy