Years ago, we hosted a youth group in our home and taught them about Jesus. Four teens from one family told me that when their father was on the phone, they could tell who was on the other end by the way he talked — someone from the church or one of his buddies. His hypocrisy confused them and made following Jesus difficult.
MacArthur’s devotional tells of New Zealand shepherds who use specially trained, castrated male sheep to lead other sheep from holding areas into the slaughtering room. They are called “Judas sheep” showing how we associate Judas with deception and death. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss and became the epitome of hypocrisy.
Hypocrites are pretenders. They seem interested in noble things, like following Jesus Christ, and demonstrate an outward allegiance to Him. Judas did that, and even to the last, not like others who followed for a time and then deserted Him after He exposed their hypocrisy:
“But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (John 6:64–66)
Judas appeared to by holy. At the last supper, Jesus said one of them would betray Him but no one guessed it would be Judas, even though he was more concerned with the money bag than anything else and eventually sold Jesus to line his own pockets.
This man did not truly believe. When Jesus was arrested, he had remorse, yet instead of seeking forgiveness, he hung himself rather than admitting his shameful betrayal. His life is a warning, not just to those who fake faith, but to Christians. We can have this notion that appearances are more important than transparency. However, many others can see through this sham. I know how important it is to keep short accounts with God and guard my heart.
Yesterday, someone said to me that their biggest concern for the church was ignorance of Scripture. My first thought was:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12–13)
That middle phrase, “discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” is a vital reason for being a student of the Word. It exposes my motivations and shows me when I’m trying to run my own life . . . which is the essence of sin. Like the five-year-old who said to me, “But I’ve never murdered anyone” we tend to make extremes the sin, extremes that we do not do, but the Bible exposes all sorts of stuff that we might not otherwise realize is an affront to the holiness of God.
We watched an Agatha Christie movie last night and most of the characters were horridly gossiping yet saying how others were horrible gossips. It was as if they never looked in a mirror. It wasn’t amusing and a reminder to me how pointing my finger at someone else means the other fingers are pointing back at me.
PRAY: Lord God, purify my love for You and protect me from any lack of integrity for it would put that label of hypocrisy on my life too. I cannot say others are selfish when I am selfish, or others are thoughtless when I am preoccupied with me, myself, and I. Keep my eyes and concentration on You and grant me to always want to read Your Word, desiring it like a babe desires milk and realizing I cannot live by bread alone also. Guard my heart from being led astray by subtle temptations of personal gain rather than desiring that You be glorified.
THINK: Read John 12:1–8. How did Mary demonstrate her love for Christ? What objection did Judas raise? What was his motive? How did he try to make himself look good?
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