The Reverberations Of Hypocrisy

15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant;

Yesterday, from the book of easy Ezekiel,  I talked about the choices that we have —  the choices that we make in our lives.  In the book of Matthew we read of  the choices people face as each day evolves into another.  The chief priests and elders had the choice to recognize — that is to believe in — who Jesus was.  In the parable that Jesus gives them,  one sons choose to do what the father asks of him; one does not.  There is subtle message in these two ways of choosing. It is not only what one believes, it is not just one says, it is what one does because of belief.  In other words the chief priests and the leaders of the synagogue say they believe in God. And throughout the history they had experienced various prophets who  came in God’s name to bring God‘s message. Now the discussion in this particular chapter has to do with John the Baptist; and whether the Chief Priest and Elder believed he was from God or not.  And it is about Jesus, and whether the believed that  he is from God or not.  The question they ask Jesus is where his authority come from.  In other words who do you think you are doing, and saying, the things that you do and say.

But what we don’t hear in this particular reading is the part of the gospel where Jesus enters Jerusalem with a great fanfare. Greeted with love, and respect, and privilege from the people along the way. The chief priests see this and Are not at all pleased. Then he comes in to the temple turning over the tables of all those selling in the temple.  Reminding them that this is his fathers house and his fathers house is a place of prayer. Now all of this appalls the Chief Priests and the Elders.  I don’t like it that  this man Jesus has the respect that  only they deserve. They don’t like it that people listen to Jesus better than they listen to them. And they don’t like that Jesus seems to have an authority that only belongs to those who serve in the temple as God’s authority.  In other words, they are envious/jealous of Jesus. And so they challenge his authority.

So Jesus tells them this very simple parable about two sons. One son says he’ll do what the father has asked.  One son says he will not do what the father ask.  However,  the one who said he would, not do it, did.   And the one said would do, did not.    This time the chief priests and the elders saw past this simple parable about to sons who say one thing and do another. They realize that Jesus is talking about their faith life and what they say, and what they do, and what they believe or don’t believe, doesn’t match. We call that hypocritical!   And Jesus often talked about the problem of hypocrisy.  

As I was reading this I thought about how little children catch hypocrisy so quickly.  They watch adults, and they listen to what they say, and they pay attention to what they do and don’t do.   And often times all of that doesn’t match in their little minds. I can remember when my two girls were very small, in elementary school.  I was talking on the phone one day to someone who wanted me to do something that afternoon. I didn’t really want to do it. And so I told ‘a little white lie’.  When I got off the phone my oldest daughter called me on what I had said. She said to me “mommy are you not feeling good?”  That one incident taught me a huge lesson. One of the things that I have always ask of my children, and my grandchildren, is to tell the truth. It was very important when my children were young. It is very important to me now, that people tell the truth. But what  my children heard that morning was me not being completely truthful.  The Messages we give our children tell them all about us. The words we say, things we do, and don’t do, that don’t match.

In my most recent years of ministry, I have seen the results of how christian hypocrisy has effected our younger generation.  They have watched Christian’s in their own community say one thing and you do another. Example! Love your neighbor! They hear this over and over and over again. They are told to be kind! They were told to share! They are told to tell the truth! And then they watch! And they listen! And I’m sure they wonder what the problem is.   But then they watch! They watch people say one thing and do another? I was raised with an old saying, I’m sure most of you have heard it:    “do as I say, not as I do!”  That no longer washes with a young minds of today. Didn’t wash in our children’s minds either!   And now they are calling us out!   And making us own our own hypocrisy. And, like to chief priests and the elders we don’t like it!

23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24 Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 28 "What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 And he answered, 'I will not'; but afterward he repented and went. 30 And he went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.

(Matthew 21:15-32 RSV)