Hypocrisy vs. Humility

A lot is said about hypocrisy these days. My generation especially seems to love to point it out in others, particularly in the lives of those in authority. And I'll admit, it is true that there is hypocrisy in leaders sometimes, and that it is not right for leaders to be hypocrites. Consider, though, that authority tends to magnify whatever faults a person has, and since all of us have a sin nature, it should not surprise us or shock us out of our beliefs when a well-known authority falls into hypocrisy -or any other sin for that matter.

 We should of course pray for them, for those affected by their sin, and for our own heart attitudes. But we should always remember: hypocrisy in others does not excuse bitterness in ourselves. Both sins are equally sinful. Nor should we throw out sound Biblical doctrine simply because the one who taught us that doctrine failed to live it out. Our responsibility is to sift through any teaching we receive and see what matches Scripture, and obey it -regardless of whether anyone else does.

I was reading through Matthew 3 in my time with God earlier this month and a contrast stood out to me which I had never noticed before. The account begins with John preaching in the wilderness. His whole message centered around repentance from sin.

Enter the Pharisees.

The Pharisees went about looking very spiritual. In fact, they went out of their way to make people notice just how spiritual they were. Yet, at their hearts, they were just playing a part. Thy were hypocrites. They stretched and pushed the boundaries of God's law to suit their desires, (Matt.7:11) but were unwilling to acknowledge the heart attitude of humble obedience that was to fuel the observance of that law. It was all about them, not about God. He seems to have been merely an afterthought, if not only a means to recognition or status.

John took them to task, declaring before the whole crowd that they were hypocrites, that they had not truly repented, and were not entitled to skip the necessary step of heart repentance because of their heritage. It didn't matter if Abraham was their father: it was their faith and repentance that was required for entry into the kingdom of heaven. --How well do you think that sat with the prideful Pharisees?

Then Jesus showed up. What a contrast it was! On the one hand were the Pharisees, too "spiritual" and prideful to repent, and on the other there was Jesus, God Himself, wanting to be baptized.

John was understandably confused about Jesus' request, because, as he stated, he had need to be baptized by Jesus, not the other way around! But then Jesus gave an answer that shows a heart of complete and utter humility.

Although He was the only one ever to live a human life without sin and therefore without need of repentance, He was willing to be identified with the message of repentance through baptism. He was stooping to a level of righteousness He truly did not need to fulfill so that others could see His example and be helped towards righteousness and faith.

"for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness"

In that one sentence, Christ showed godly humility in all its glory.

Both Christ and the Pharisees did (or desired to do) the outward, but the Pharisees did it to appear to others to be righteous, and Christ did the outward --even when He had  no benefit of it for himself-- to fulfill or demonstrate the righteousness He already possessed for the sake of others.