Religious Hypocrisy and False Judging

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“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ‘Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.’” (Luke 18:9-14 ESV)​

Now, what did Jesus teach us about the Pharisees? They were skilled at hypocrisy, professing one thing outwardly, while doing another. They did not practice what they preached. They did their deeds to be seen by others. They loved attention. They lead people to hell on the promise of heaven. They adhered to religious rituals but not to God’s righteousness. They appeared clean (righteous) outwardly but inwardly they were full of wicked deeds, greed, hypocrisy, and self-indulgence. They persecuted those who were truly righteous, and they were proud and unjustly judgmental of others who were not like them (see Matthew 23:1-39).

So, it isn’t as though this Pharisee in this parable had any just cause at all for seeing himself as better than the tax collector. He was worse, in fact, because he had all sorts of head knowledge with regard to what is right and to what is wrong, and yet he did evil, and not good, while outwardly putting on an image of all goodness. So he was self-righteous, not righteous in the eyes of the Lord. For the Lord doesn’t see things the same way that human flesh sees things. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. And from the heart can come good or evil, depending upon what is stored up in a person’s heart (Luke 6:45; Matthew 15:17-20).

Now, should we be thankful for God’s saving grace? Amen! Should we be thankful to God that we who believe in Jesus with God-honoring faith in him have been delivered from our slavery to sin so that we can now walk in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord? Yes! So, from that perspective we can be thankful that the Lord drew us up out of our pits and that he gave us new life in him to be lived for his purposes and for his glory. We can be thankful to God that we are no longer walking in sin, making sin our practice, but by the grace of God, and in his power and strength, we can now live holy lives, pleasing to God. That is a good prayer!

But to unjustly and to hypocritically stand in judgment over others when we might be just as bad or much worse is hypocritical, for one, it is unloving, it is not kind, it is prideful, and it sets ourselves up to be superior to others as though in ourselves we have obtained some superior status. But all of us were born into this world with sin natures, in the image of Adam, with the propensity to do evil. And it is only by the grace of God and by his righteousness that any of us can be made righteous in the sight of God, and thus all the glory goes to God.

But is it evil to point out the evil in others? It depends on where we are spiritually and what is our purpose. If it is to try to make us look superior and for the purpose only to condemn others, then it is wrong. If the purpose is of God, and it is to confront sin in sinful humans in order to lead them to repentance, to turning away from their sins to walks of genuine faith and obedience to our Lord in holy living, that is good. Or if it is to help a wandering brother or sister to come out from his wandering and to walk in faithful obedience to the Lord, the purpose is good.

But to stand up and to pray to God and to say to God, “Look at how good I am compared to this other person,” then that is wrong, especially if we are doing so hypocritically. For not one of us is good in our own selves. For we are self-deceived and we are not able to really see ourselves as God sees us if we feel that we have to point out to God how superior we are to others, especially if we are not living righteously but hypocritically. But should we pray for sinners to come to repentance? Yes! And should it burden us that so many people are living wicked lives? Yes! It should!

But it is only by the grace of God that any of us are lifted up out of our sinful lifestyles and are able to now live holy lives, pleasing to God. So this is not a prideful matter at all. This is a matter of true humility in realizing where we would be without Jesus and without his blood sacrifice for our sins so that we can be delivered from our addiction to sin. We would all be doomed to hell! So we should be extremely grateful for God’s saving grace. And when we see someone who is trapped in sin’s deceitfulness, it should grieve our hearts, and we should pray for that person, and we should share with that person the truth of the gospel as to how he can be set free, too. And this is good!

For in this case the tax collector was actually more righteous than the religious Pharisee, for the tax collector acknowledged his sins before God and he prayed to God for mercy. Yes, he didn’t go through all the religious rituals of the Pharisees, which was good, but he had a heart for God and he wanted to know God and he wanted the Lord to save him from his sins. But the Pharisee was so full of pride that he couldn’t even see his own sins and his own hypocrisy, but all that he could see is how much better he thought he was than this other man who he regarded as less.

So, don’t be a snob. Don’t be self-righteous. Don’t be a hypocrite. Humble yourselves before God and serve the Lord with your lives and pray for those who are still walking in sin to be delivered from their slavery to sin. And love them into the kingdom of heaven by sharing with them the truth of the gospel in how they can be set free from their bondage and in how they can now walk in holiness and in righteousness in the power of God, if they are willing. And do good to them and not evil.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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