The Sin of Hypocrisy

Rev. Robert Traer

Malachi 2:1-10, Matthew 23:1-12

The scripture readings for this morning are unfamiliar. They come from the Lectionary for the Christian Year that the Presbyterian Church recommends to pastors. I don’t always preach using the lectionary readings, but it is good to be challenged to address passages in scripture that are less well known.

Verses 1-11 from chapter 23 of the gospel of Matthew are not present in the other New Testament gospels, but verse 12 is included in the gospel of Luke. The authors of these two gospels have each introduced verse 12 in a different way, using material that was unknown to the other gospel authors or not used by them. Verse 12 says, "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." In the gospel of Luke this moral is preceded by a parable about choosing the least significant seat at a wedding feast. In the gospel of Matthew this conclusion follows a teaching about the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

Scribes were teachers of the law. The word "Pharisee" comes from an Aramaic word meaning "to separate." The Pharisees were a reform group that sought to purify Jewish spirituality by strict adherence to the Law of Moses. In verse 2 of the reading from the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the people to do what the scribes and Pharisees say because the scribes and Pharisees are teaching the Law of Moses. What a contrast this is with the statement in Romans 10:4 by Paul that "Christ is the end of the law [of Moses] …."

In the gospel of Matthew the charge leveled against the scribes and Pharisees is that they do not practice what they preach. This is what we mean by hypocrisy. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says the Law of Moses calls us to be humble, and the scribes and Pharisees are judged because they preach this commandment but do not obey it.

The reading from the prophet Malachi proclaims a curse on the Levites, the priests of Israel, for corrupting and profaning the covenant with God. The images in the passage are powerful and profane. Through the mouth of Malachi God says to the Levites, "I will curse your blessings," "I will rebuke your offspring," "I will spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your offspring," and "I will put you out of my presence." Reading this text with the passage from the gospel of Matthew may easily create the impression that the leaders of ancient Israel and of Jerusalem in the first century CE were all hypocrites.

It is no wonder, therefore, that Christians have held Jews in such low esteem for two millennia. Yet, if the standard of practicing what one preaches is applied to the church through these two millennia, surely the charge of hypocrisy would be valid in every century. And today? We pray for the poor, but remain rich. We condemn economic globalization, but derive its benefits from our investments. We support justice for all, but are unwilling to give up our privileged positions or to change the economic system that continues to increase our portion of the earth's wealth.

Perhaps I have overstated the case, but aren’t we all hypocrites? Don’t we all fail to live up to the teachings of the church, which we support as Christians? Don’t we all fall short of loving God with all our mind and soul and strength, and loving our neighbors as ourselves? As Paul says in Romans 7:18-19, "I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do." This is sin — the evil that good people do.

I confess that I feel hypocritical all the time. I lead prayers in worship, as if I am a spiritual person. But I know I am not a spiritual person. As I told the men's breakfast group last week, I know that I am a flawed husband and father. I have hurt my wife, and I have not been the father for my children that I wanted to be. I preach about loving our neighbors, but I can't see that I am doing much to love my neighbors. Frankly, I'm spending most of my time at my desk working on administrative details and writing reports. I spend little time teaching, preaching, praying, and serving others.

I see this as my sin, and I worship because I have experienced forgiveness that I understand as the grace of God. I am a Christian, because I am a sinner and have no other answer for my sin. I am not spiritual enough to feel close to God through my own efforts. And I am not moral enough to believe that I am worthy of the blessings I enjoy.

Perhaps it is too soon for me to speak of the sins of St. John's, but the conversations I have had in the past month suggest that these must be faced. I have been told of affairs among leaders of the congregation and of bitter conflicts that have caused members to leave. I have listened to the anger of those who feel ignored or put down, or who have been blocked when they tried to introduce new ideas. Friends of yours have cried in the pastor's study, as they spoke of their love for this church and their frustration with the pettiness that has dogged the congregation during its slow decline over the past several years.

I suggest to you that the way forward will require acknowledging the sins of St. John's. This does not mean blaming certain people, or feeling guilty about are own failings. It does mean admitting that each of us has had a part in the decline of this congregation. By not speaking, by not caring enough to struggle for a stronger church, by not facing the loss of income and the cost overruns in operating the Center, by not deepening our prayer and by not invigorating the worship of the congregation, we have all contributed to its present difficulties.

It will not be sufficient to champion the liberal heritage of the church, to celebrate its good music, and to draw strength from our friends in the congregation. We must also confess that we have not lived up to our liberal heritage, that the music has often divided the congregation and even driven some members away, and that friendships have been experienced as factions and power struggles within St. John's. If you are not aware that this is true, I can attest to you from the many conversations that I have had here with members that it has been true and continues to be true. And we will be guilty of the sin of hypocrisy, if we deny it.

In two weeks we will devote a service to repentance for our sins, and at that time we will try acknowledge, and let go of our grief, anger, frustration, and despair, so the congregation may move forward. But today, let us at least begin to recognize that, as good Christians, we must confront the sin of hypocrisy.

Similarly, as good Americans, we must confront the hypocrisy of our nation. President Bush said on Friday, "we must rid the world of evil." The notion that America is good, and those who hate it are evil is not only self-serving but wrong. Terrorism is evil, and the killing of innocent persons is evil. But the growing impoverishment of the majority of the world's peoples is also evil, and the violence and suffering that America is about to unleash in order to exact retribution for its suffering and shame will also be evil. Justice is good, but acts of vengeance are evil.

Our hearts go out to the families of those who lost loved ones, and we pray that the souls of all those who died may rest in peace. But we also pray for those who are so filled with hate for America, because of the transfer of wealth and power from their lands to the West and particularly to America, that they gladly sacrifice their own lives in violent acts that they understand as just retribution. And we pray that Christians in America will resist calls for vengeance and will remember the sins of the past that come with self-righteous anger, so these tragic acts of violence might not be repeated in our own time.

In Matthew 23:12 Jesus teaches that: "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." If we proclaim our own goodness, we are guilty of the sin of hypocrisy. As the church, we are called to proclaim that God is good. Our mission is to preach and live the gospel, the good news that nothing can separate us from the love of God that we know in Jesus Christ. And we are called to embody that good news in our life together, as the body of Christ in the world.

If there is going to be good news in our time, it will not be that the markets are operating again or that America has punished those who have cruelly victimized its people. The good news is that God's justice and peace will prevail, that love is stronger than hate, and that joy will triumph over despair. So, let us witness to our faith, share our love, and proclaim our hope. Amen.