Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. Everything they do is for show.” Matthew 23:1-5a
“The divine punishment of hypocrisy is fatigue. Those in Shakespeare’s fine simile, whose hearts are all false as stairs of sand, must really have much of that exhausted sensation that comes of walking through sand when it is loose and deep. The hypocrite is that unluckiest of actors who is never out of a job.”
G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) as cited in in T.P.’s Weekly, 26 June 1914.
Today we see the divine punishment for doing good with bad motives. Those who try to do good deeds in the strength of the flesh, as fulfilling a requirement from religious leaders, or for praise of people, are hypocrites who will find themselves exhausted and empty.
In the NT world people praised those who did good deeds and acts of beneficence. What motivated their giving? The Greeks referred to the driving force as philotimia, or “love of glory.” It was all for show!
This past Sunday, Pastor James Hoxworth mentioned the first line of this quote in his sermon, so I looked it up in its entirety. With his vintage blend of wit and wisdom, Chesterton again hits the nail on the head. We are learning that living generously in Christ leaves us not exhausted and empty, but energized and enriched, because it’s all for God and fueled by God.
Sadly, both Jesus and Chesterton would add that there will always be frauds who do not practice what they preach. And just imagine the fatigue they get as their reward.
What about you? Would Jesus label you a hypocrite? Do your practices match the teachings of Jesus? We are discovering that the way of Jesus is not burdensome but life-giving.