READING: Exodus 28-29, Matthew 23
You’ve probably heard it said, “Do as I say, not as I do.” It’s not good thinking—and certainly not good leading—but it recognizes the reality of hypocrisy even among believers. The phrase is an admission, “I don’t always live what I preach, so pay more attention to my words than my actions.” In today’s New Testament reading, we learn that even religious leaders are susceptible to this kind of faulty living.
The scribes and Pharisees were Jewish religious leaders who led the way in interpreting and applying the teachings of the Law. In that sense, they did have official responsibility to teach others the Law. What they often did, though, was teach one thing and do something different. For example, they may have been responsible for teaching about God, but they did all they did to be “seen by others” (Matt 23:5). They were also meticulous in their tithing, but they ignored “the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matt 23:23). Seven times, in fact, Jesus pronounced “woes” on the religious leaders for their hypocrisy.
Lest we simply condemn the Pharisees and scribes, though, we must consider our own tendencies at times. Do we ever call others to forgive when we’re unwilling to forgive someone? Teach others to love their spouses well while we’re sometimes neglectful of our own? Preach and teach evangelism even though we haven’t shared the gospel with anyone for some time? I fear we also too often must say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
PRAYER: “God, I don’t want to be hypocritical in my life. Help me.”
DAILY ACTION STEP: If you know an area where your words and your actions contradict each other, confess that sin to God.
TOMORROW’S READING: Exodus 30-33, Matthew 24:1-31
