Scripture:  Matthew 23:2-12

In life, many do things just for show.  People do all sorts of things to impress others, yet they are not sincere about it.  There are many reasons for impressing others, whether it is to get some reward, such as a raise or promotion, or just to feel superior to others.  Religious life is no exception.

Jesus spoke against some Pharisees because they did many things for show.  The phylacteries were leather pouches that held scripture verses, and the bigger the phylactery, the more attention they caused when they got a verse out to read.   Many also took pride in the titles they had, such as “rabbi,” or “teacher.”   They sought the “best” seats at banquets or synagogue.  At time of prayer, some would make sure they were in a public place, so everyone could see, and be impressed.

Things haven't changed much today.   Many of us carry a Bible around at all times, whether we intend to read from it or not.  We're proud of the titles that we earn, whether it is “doctor”, “professor,” or “reverend.”  In public prayer, we may make an effort to show others how spiritual we are by saying a long, eloquent prayer, rather than a short, concise one, for no real reason; this is similar to putting extra words in a term paper that have no real meaning, but serve to lengthen the paper a page or so.

There is nothing wrong with being outwardly spiritual; to a certain extent, if you are a spiritual person, you cannot help showing it.  Rather, Jesus condemned hypocrisy, and the dishonesty of it.  Outward practice without an inner commitment is meaningless.  This is especially so when someone says they believe something, yet their actions indicate the opposite.  Similarly, we are not to judge others' actions, for each of us has sins that are equally wrong, whether we admit them or not; God has reserved the right to judge because we are not qualified to do it.  Yet how many of us have encountered people in the Church who have talked harshly of someone for something as trivial as not dressing up in “church clothes?”  How many of us have been a victim of such talk?  How many of us have engaged in such talk?

Similar to hypocrisy, blindly obeying the practices of the Church also shows a lack of inner commitment.  This is what's known as “spoon-fed” Christianity.  People do things simply because they are what we are supposed to do, and they do not think of why we are supposed to do them.  This can lead to a less blatant form of showing off, when we do things to gain or keep approval.  Outside Church, we do not think about how to put Christian ideals into practice, but just go through the motions on Sunday.  In fact, many of us separate religious life from “real” life, ignoring the fact that religion is a part of life, and is not to be turned off when we step outside the Church doors.

When we don't practice what we preach, we act like something we are not in Church, and there is no point in it.  Impressing others is not a sufficient reason, because people's opinions do not matter in the end.  Impressing God is futile; what is going to impress the Creator of the Universe and Everything in it?  The only way to receive grace is to first believe in what we say, then do as we say.

Amen.

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Copyright © 1995 by Dave Vaughn.  All rights reserved.