"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." [Matthew 23:13 NASB]The Greek word, "hypocrite", was originally used to refer to a stage actor. By calling the scribes and Pharisees "hypocrites", Jesus is saying that they are they are just playing a role, pretending to be something that they are not.
Here and in the following verses, Jesus offers eight woes, with accusations, against the scribes and Pharisees. What is remarkable about this passage isn't that Jesus condemns hypocrisy, but that the tone of His condemnation shows heartfelt anger. Whenever Jesus confronted sinners, he was gentle, offering grace, and leading to repentance. But when it came to religious hypocrisy, He proved to have a spine of steel.
His first condemnation of the religious leaders is that they "shut off the kingdom of heaven from people". From the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, the opposed the gospel. They did everything in their power to discredit Jesus and His followers.
As keepers of the Law, they knew the scriptures; they could quote the Messianic prophecies. The scribes and Pharisees should have been the ones to point out that Daniel's seventy weeks were winding down. They should have recognized that all of the prophecies concerning the Messiah were being fulfilled. But they chose their traditions over truth.
Even worse, not only did they not follow Jesus themselves, they did all they could to influence others to not follow Him as well.
People are the same today.
I know a pastor who made the bold, scriptural statement that not only is salvation by grace, without works, but sanctification is also by grace, apart from works. He went on to teach that you cannot become more holy by keeping rules and traditions, but by being led by the Spirit of God.
"Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" [Galatians 3:3 NASB]
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." [Galatians 5:16 NASB]
Some in the church received the message with joy. Others lashed out. They argued that without rules and commandments, we won't know right from wrong. They claimed it was an open door to licentiousness. Their arguments might have some merit if not for the promise of the Holy Spirit.
In one breath, they accused the pastor of hyper-spirituality. In the next, they accused him of sin. Leaders rose up to oppose the pastor and any who agreed with him. After a campaign of gossip and accusation, more than half of the congregation left the church, choosing tradition over truth.
They didn't deny Jesus, and I don't question their salvation. But they are choosing to not live according to the kingdom of God in this world. They are robbing themselves and others of this joy.
One day, we will stand before the judgement seat of Christ. Will He praise us for faithfully following Him, or will he condemn us for our hypocrisy? Paul said, "Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." [1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NASB]
Will you face Jesus in joy, or in tears? It's not too late while we yet live to make the choice to live in the freedom of His grace, and to be an encourager of others, not tearing down, but lifting them up.
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