Hypocrisy - Matthew 6:1-21

There are two main forms of hypocrisy. There's the kind of hypocrisy where I believe something to be true and live a life that is contrary to that something. For example, I could profess to others my belief that lying is against God's Word. But, if in my daily life I lie continuously to those around me, then I am a hypocrite! This type of hypocrisy is identified externally.

The second form of hypocrisy is not so noticeable. This kind of hypocrisy occurs when I believe something to be true and my actions coincide with that belief. In this scenario, I could profess to others my belief that lying is against God's Word, and in my daily life I tell the truth.

Now, that may sound a bit contradictory. If hypocrisy occurs when one acts against their professed beliefs, how can hypocrisy occur when one's actions coincide with their professed beliefs? This is the question we will seek to answer in the next few minutes. Read Matthew 6:1-21.

1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I. Setting and cultural factors

The text we have just read is the second chapter of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Throughout the sermon Jesus' is teaching the principles of his Kingdom, the Kingdom of God. It is important to note that while there were multitudes present for the sermon, Jesus' was speaking primarily to his disciples. This is because the principles taught throughout the sermon can only be exemplified in the lives of Christians.

We must also remember that the disciples were Jewish. For the Jews in Jesus' time, charitable deeds, prayer and fasting were considered the three greatest works of the religious life. Not surprisingly, these three works are used as examples in the text.

Let's look at the first example of charitable deeds, found in verses one through four.

II. Hypocrisy in charitable deeds

1 "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them."

Earlier we asked the question "How can hypocrisy occur when one's actions coincide with their professed beliefs?" Jesus warns us not to do our charitable deeds in order to be noticed by others. This is where hypocrisy enters the picture.

What is a hypocrite? The word hypocrite originally referred to an actor. These actors would wear masks in order to appear as something other than what they truly were. This is what the hypocrites were doing in Jesus' time. They would give to the poor and do other works so that people would notice their apparent righteousness. Therefore, their objective in doing good works was not to honor God. Their objective was to gain attention from men.

How did these hypocrites accomplish their objective? Look at verse two.

2 "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men."

Now, the language used here is most likely figurative. It's doubtful that the hypocrites actually pulled out their trumpets when the offering plate was passed. But the message is clear: the hypocrites made sure that others knew of their great works, because of their desire for "glory from men."

So what are some examples of this type of hypocrisy today? How would this hypocrite operate in our time?

He would go to church every week. He'd serve in church ministries, perhaps in AWANA or as a deacon. He'd participate in our capital campaign. These are all things that we as Christians should do out of our love for God. But he doesn't do these things because he desires to serve God. He does them so that the rest of the church will notice his involvement and praise him for his works. That is his chief concern.

Of course, this hypocrisy has its consequences. Look again at verse 2.

"Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."

But wait a minute: this doesn't sound like a bad thing. These hypocrites are getting a reward. How is that a consequence? We must remember what the hypocrite is after. He pursues glory from men. Therefore, what is his reward? Glory from men! The hypocrite gets what he wants. He wants others to notice him and they do. The praise that he gets is his reward. But this is all he gets. Tomorrow he will have forgotten all about yesterday's fame. He will search fervently for more attention day after day, week after week, year after year. However, he will never be satisfied.

So what is the solution to this hypocrisy? There must be an alternative lifestyle. The answer is found in verses 3 and 4.

3 But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.

Here Jesus tells us to keep the works of our right hands a secret from our left hands. What does that mean? Well, in other words we should do our charitable deeds, whether it be giving our tithes or serving in AWANA or singing in the choir, solely out of our love for God. The result is that our charitable deeds will be a secret.

A secret to whom though? Our works are not to be kept secret from others. One, this is impossible. People will notice. Two, Jesus commands earlier in his sermon in Matthew 5:16: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." So our works aren't a secret to others. Neither are they a secret to God. After all, nothing is a secret to God. Therefore, the works that we do are to be kept a secret from ourselves. Our focus should be on God and not us.

"And your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly." So what is our reward? By maintaining our focus on God, we inherit a reward. But what is our reward? The hypocrite's reward is temporary. Our reward, however, is eternal. God's eternal blessings will last forever, and are far more satisfying than any praise man could ever offer.

Now we'll look at the second example of prayer found in verses five through eight.

III. Hypocrisy in prayer

5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.

So the hypocrisy mentioned here occurs during prayer. The hypocrisy, like the charitable deeds, was not in the actual act of prayer itself. Rather, the hypocrisy arose because of the prayers' intended audience and content. The hypocrites were not praying to God, but to those around them. This of course affected the content of their prayers. So their objective was not to grow closer to God. Their objective, as with charitable deeds, was to gain attention from men.

How did these hypocrites accomplish their objective? Look at verse five again.
"For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men."

The hypocrites wanted people to see them praying. So what did they do? They went to popular places where they were most likely to be seen. The synagogues were where the Jews worshiped the most often. The street corners mentioned referred to major intersections. So the hypocrites loved to pray wherever there was the largest audience, and purposefully planned to pray in those places. But what did the hypocrites say once everybody was watching? Look at verse 7.

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Using vain repetitions allowed the hypocrites to pray without much thought. They would say the same things over and over again, trying to sound spiritual before others. They would say the right words, so that their prayers sounded good. They would also pray for long periods of time, so that people would notice how long they prayed. So the content of their prayers did not come from a heart for God, but out of sheer desire to be noticed by others as spiritual. Therefore, not only did the hypocrites pray to the wrong audience, their prayers were filled with meaningless content.

Now, praying the same prayer again isn't wrong. Jesus did this while in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26. He prayed "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will but as You will." Then after he reprimanded Peter for sleeping, he prayed for a second time, and then a third time, saying the same words. But the difference in Jesus' prayer and the hypocrites' prayer was the audience. Jesus prayed to His Father and that His Father's will be done. Jesus' focus was on the Father, not on others.

So what are the consequences for hypocrisy in prayer? Look at verse five.

"Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."

As was the case with charitable deeds, we know that this reward is the attention of men. The hypocrite who prays in public places will be seen by others. He accomplishes his goal. But he misses out on the true reward from God. The consequence of his self-seeking motivation is that he receives a false reward: man's approval. He loses the eternal rewards that God provides.

So what is the solution? Look at verse six.

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Since the hypocrite's prayers were for the wrong audience, true prayer must be directed towards the right audience: God. That is the most important thing to notice about this verse. When we pray we are talking directly to God. So when praying we must do whatever is necessary to maintain our focus on God. If that means we need to lock ourselves in our rooms away from everyone else, then we must do so. Praying in public isn't wrong, as Jesus prayed before others many times. Pastor prays before the congregation every Sunday. But his prayers are directed towards God, not the church. So to pray in secret does not imply physical location, although private prayer time is very important. Praying in secret requires heartfelt communion with God, publicly or privately. It requires genuine requests, as Jesus mentions in verse eight. As a result, God will see us and reward us. The reward we get is simple. We grow closer to God. God Himself is our reward.

We've seen how hypocrisy can arise in charitable deeds and prayer. The final example Jesus gives, fasting, is found in verses sixteen through eighteen.

IV. Hypocrisy in fasting

16 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting."

Fasting is different from charitable deeds and prayer in that it is not commanded for us to do. This is because fasting in and of itself has no value. Fasting typically is done voluntarily, for a number of reasons that we won't get into. However, fasting is similar to charitable deeds and prayer because Jesus commands once again to not be like the hypocrites. Since fasting was viewed as a highly religious work, the hypocrites made sure others knew they were fasting. They took a personal action and made it public. Their objective as always was to gain attention from men. They would call attention to themselves by appearing sad and disfigure their faces, in order to look as though they had been fasting for a long period of time. But Jesus called this hypocrisy. They fasted, but not to focus their concentration on God. They fasted so as to appear spiritual to others. This hypocrisy, like charitable deeds and prayer, has its consequences.

"Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward."

Once again, the hypocrite gets his reward: the people notice. But this isn't the consequence. The consequence is that he does not get any reward from God. Thus, the hypocrite misses out on what is truly valuable.

The solution to hypocrisy in fasting is found in verses seventeen and eighteen.

17 "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

In contrast to the hypocrite, we are to do whatever is necessary to appear to others as if we are not fasting. That way our fasting will be kept a secret, so that only God knows that we are fasting. He will always notice a heart that is genuine, and reward it openly.

It was noted earlier that charitable deeds, prayer and fasting were considered the three greatest works of the religious life during Jesus' time. I think Jesus used these three examples for a deeper reason however. I think they each represent an area of our lives. The charitable deeds represent all that we do in our relationships with other people. It can range from direct conversation to washing the family van. Anything that is done for another person falls into this category. On the other hand, prayer represents all that we do in our relationship with God, be it giving thanks for a meal or singing a hymn during the service. Fasting therefore represents all that we do for ourselves. This can range from eating (or not eating) to watching football. In this way, these three areas combine to represent our entire lives. In all things we are not to bring glory to ourselves, as the hypocrites do. Rather, whatever we eat, or drink, or whatever we do, should be done for the glory of God.

V. The cure for hypocrisy

So how do we do that? How do we make sure that everything we do is done for God's glory? What is the cure for hypocrisy? Jesus gives us the answer in verses nineteen through twenty-one.

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal."

We are not to make it our life's aim to accumulate earthly treasures. Earthly treasures can be physical items such as money as well as the praise of men. While these things aren't wrong, pursuing such things in lieu of God is wrong. Earthly treasures will also never satisfy, because they lack permanence. The praise of others will last only for a moment. Jesus tells us to not to pursue these things. Instead, Jesus provides the alternative.

20 "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Heavenly treasures, then, are things that are eternal. They cannot be destroyed or stolen like earthly treasures. Heavenly treasures will last forever. When our charitable deeds flow out of a sincere love for God, then we have invested in heavenly treasures. When our prayers are sincere communion with God, then we have invested in heavenly treasures. When we fast out of a sincere desire to grow closer to God, then we have invested in heavenly treasures.

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Here Jesus makes the connection between our treasures and our heart. If we aim to accumulate earthly treasures, then that's where our heart is. This is also where the hypocrite's heart is. However, a heart that is solely focused on God will accumulate treasures in heaven. This is what Jesus calls for in this passage: a heart totally concentrated on the Lord and His glory.

Fortunately, Jesus gives us a demonstration of a life that is seeking after treasures in heaven in verses nine through thirteen.

9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

The prayer starts by first and foremost giving glory to God. It acknowledges that God is our Father and that He is sovereign over us. It puts His will above ours. Therefore, a person seeking heavenly treasures is submitted to the will of God.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.

The middle of the prayer asks for requests in all areas of life. But each area is still focused on God. Each verse directs us to a different aspect of God. The request for daily bread directs us to God the Father, because He is our Sustainer. The request for forgiveness directs us to God the Son, because He is our Savior and Redeemer. And the request for help in temptation directs us to the Holy Spirit, who is our Strengthener and Guide. So a person seeking heavenly treasures looks to God to supply all his needs, both material and spiritual.

"For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

The prayer ends like it starts: God gets all the glory. Jesus calls for us to glorify God in all that we do.

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Hello!

Hello everyone,

I am starting this blog so that I can write on any issues that I'm thinking about. Many times I will post on something biblical but there will be times where something of a less serious nature will show its face. Enjoy!

Matthew