DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL BY PASTOR W.F.KUMUYI WEDNESDAY 8TH MAY 2019
TOPIC: BEWARE OF HYPOCRISY
BIBLE TEXT: Luke 11:37-54
37. And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him; and he went in, and sat down to meat.38. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner.39. And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.40. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?41. But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.42. But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.43. Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.44. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.45. Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.46. And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.47. Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.48. Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers.49. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute;50. That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;51. From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple; verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.52. Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge; ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.53. And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things;54. Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
KEY VERSE: – Luke 11:44
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrite! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.”
DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE FOR TODAY
Hypocrisy is repulsive but has unfortunately become a lifestyle among many so-called Christians. It is simply a life of pretense, claiming to possess what you do not have or acting who you are not.
John R.W. Scott, in his book “Sermon on the Mount”, captured hypocrisy thus; “Hypocrisy is hideous. What a cancer is to the body, hypocrisy is to the Church. It is a killing agent. Unfortunately, hypocrisy is also addictive”.
This, no doubt, captures the reason Jesus vehemently castigated the Scribes and Pharisees whom He described as hypocrites. Hypocrites would criticise and correct in others what they are most guilty of.
The text shows the passionate resentment Christ had against hypocrisy and His determination to expose it, whenever it is hidden because He is an all-seeing God. Christ commenced the direct attack against hypocrisy with His host, a Pharisee who appeared to have invited Christ with the purpose of finding fault. Rather than focus on the dinner and how to courteously entertain his guest, he focused on the actions of Christ and was very quick to point out the issue of unwashed hand before eating.
Christ’s response is no doubt instructive. His immediate reaction and strong words of rebuke for what was wrong in the life of His host teaches Christian minsters not to allow themselves to be silenced by the wealth, position, influence and power of their congregants or benefactors. Ministers must be valiant for the truth and avoid double standard in the correction of their congregation. Jesus applied the same rule to the Pharisees, Scribes and lawyers by forcefully denouncing their hypocrisy.
Although our contemporary society thrives on hypocrisy, genuine Christians can stem the tide by living out the life we want to see in others. Condemning in others what you are patently guilty of is hypocrisy and you should note that Christ will never commend in you, what He condemns in others.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The joy of the hypocrite is for a moment.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Judges 18-21
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