Luke 12:1-3 (NIV) Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
The more the Jewish leaders pushed back against Jesus, the more His following grew, although the conflict was not the reason for the growth. But as Jesus drew nearer the cross, He ramped up His level of activity, and God drew more and more people to hear Him. This, of course, frustrated the leaders terribly. They were fighting Him with everything they had, and He continued to grow in popularity. (Their frustrations were plainly expressed in John 11:47-48.)
But Jesus was not done with the Pharisees yet. As He warned His followers away from not only their teachings but their influence as well (using yeast as an illustration), He identified their primary sin: hypocrisy. Hypocrisy, at its root, is pretending to be something you are not. The term originated in the theater as a term for actors who wore masks, taking on an external persona far different from what they were underneath.
As Jesus saw it (and how He saw it was the truth), the Pharisees were hypocrites not because they were trying to keep God’s commandments and sometimes failing, but because they were depicting themselves as people who were obeying every jot and tittle of God’s commands, when they knew that they were in direct disobedience to some of His requirements. They projected an outward appearance of holiness, while inwardly having hearts full of hatred, pride, and greed, completely out of character for those who identified themselves as God’s people. They were actors wearing masks of righteousness to cover over their evil souls.
Jesus’ next words have been used out of context to support evangelistic efforts. But these words were not an encouragement; they were a warning. To the Pharisees, and to any who aimed to follow them in their ways, Jesus warned that the secrets of the heart that were kept hidden under the masks would come out and be known, and the plots formed against Jesus, and against His true people would be exposed.
Father, Jesus’ words here proved absolutely true, as the plotting and machinations of those leaders were exposed by You, ultimately foiled, and are now published globally in Your Scriptures. Lord, preserve me and all of Your people from hypocrisy. And my request is not just about being honest about who we are, warts and all. Instead, I ask you to help us to be as good in our hearts as we would like to portray ourselves being on the outside. Amen.