Growing Conflict And Hostile Hypocrisy With Everything We Say Being Revealed
The momentum appears to be increasing. Numbers are increasing The pace is becoming faster. The conflict is becoming sharper.
There is this growing open conflict between Jesus Christ and the religious leaders of the day. That very often happens. There is a conflict between Jesus Christ, the Lord, the King, and those who thought they were important people. Many are gathering around Jesus for various reasons, but Jesus priority is to teach disciples. Jesus wants to give His Chosen Men words of advice and encouragement.
It is good to take time, to look at scenes in the life of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus, the methods of Jesus, the priorities of Jesus and this growing conflict which confronted Jesus.
His resolute determined decision is to go to Jerusalem - to face Jerusalem and the Cross with all the accompanying painful agony and shame.
Jesus is going to carry out His Father’s Will. He is not giving in - not taking an easier route - not compromising - but facing it - confronting it – and showing these disciples and us what it is really like.
All this is being done to save us - to show us mercy - to offer man forgiveness - to wash us from our sin - to rescue us from hell.
In the middle of all that is going on, Jesus wants to give His Chosen Men words of advice and encouragement.
Over the years many have said, “If only the Church would keep to the teaching of Jesus - forget about all the doctrine - all this teaching what you should believe - about sin and obedience - if only people would hear the words of Jesus and try to live as Jesus lived.”
There are those who think that doctrine clutters up the Church - NO. False doctrine does. If there is no doctrine - no teaching - if we do not know what we believe and why - soon there will be no church - not that will ever happen - because Jesus will just give the kingdom to others.
“If only we kept to what Jesus did and taught - without things like having to be born again.” Now, I have heard that, but it was Jesus Christ Who said it.
But that is part of what Jesus taught - and part of what He did, and does, is pour out the Holy Spirit. We need to be able to answer people when they confront us with very real questions. Many are sincere. They would like to live the way Jesus lived, but man cannot until he is born again, and even then it is hard.
Jesus never offered disciples a soft cushioned road to walk.
When you hear people saying, “If only the Church would stick to what Jesus did and said and taught, without having to go to services and meetings and that clutter.” - think of that in the light of these next words.
“Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy.” What does Jesus mean? Watch
There are times when I have wanted to ask people - “Eh, which words of Jesus do you want us to keep to, and which words of Jesus would you wish us to ignore and overlook and forget?”
Beware of the Pharisees. Jesus pointed them out to be hypocrites - those legalistic puritans - and they could influence you negatively and adversely.
The Christian Life is like a journey, and what Jesus is doing here is pointing out some of the hazards along the way. There are hazards - pitfalls - dangers - and Jesus wants us to avoid them. That is why He points them out. You will find this in Luke Chapter 12.
As we travel we need signposts, and Jesus Christ gives us the signposts we need. Jesus warns us of what could hinder us, or even bring us to a halt, but He also shows us the way to go.
Jesus says to disciples, “Beware of hypocrites.” What is a hypocrite? It is important that we know. It is good to know what the sign means if you are out driving.
Hypocrite is a word from the theatre of the day. If you had gone to the theatre in the first century, and if you enjoyed the play or the performance, you would have come away saying - “These are good hypocrites. That production had some fine hypocrites in it.”
A hypocrite was an actor, and what you did was put a mask over your face to portray the part - a sad mask or a smiling mask - a serious mask or a comedy mask.
Jesus is saying to His men, “Beware of those who put on a front. Watch out for those who are just playing a role in religion.” No wonder they had this man arrested and crucified.
Religious sham and acting is futile in the eyes of Jesus, and Jesus speaks about hypocrisy as being like yeast. Hypocrisy acts like yeast.
1. You need only a little to affect the lot.
2. Yeast spreads very quickly.
3. Yeast works invisibly and silently and secretly - it works in a hidden way - unseen - sometimes you do not know what is going on.
Nothing is covered up that shall not one day be uncovered. If we try to hide something one day it will be revealed. Many discover that these words of Jesus just happen to be true.
Jesus goes on to refer specifically to our words - to our conversation - things we have said secretly and hypocritically - hoping that only some people would hear us - and hoping that some people would not hear us.
One day, all will be revealed.
Jesus is teaching. Don’t pretend. What you are on the inside will show up sooner or later - the GOOD as well as the BAD.
Sandy Shaw
Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled “Word from Scotland” on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.
Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com
Tags: Conflict, Reality, Spiritual, victory