Spitiyual Opposition Seen Through Hypocrisy 
 

 

Matt. 12:38-45

38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.

43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

 

Here is another evidence of opposition. It comes from the Scribes and Pharisees. Christians can be the most judgmental, prejudicial, proudful, and hypocritical group of people. It was the religious people who opposed Jesus. He points out their hypocritical hearts.

Hypocritical living can be the opposition against the no nonsense, no pretense reality of Jesus.  This is where we come and judge ourselves by the Spirit of God.  I don't always like what I see in myself because my ideals are higher than my reality. I can seek to achieve my ideal either by the power of God, or the pretense of myself.  I can either say, “God help me to be more like Jesus in my inner character that shows forth outwardly”, or I can pretend by hypocrisy to act a way others might see my piety.

1 Samuel 16:7, "For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." His desire for His spiritual children is that they turn to Him for the power to live transparent lives so that when the men and women in their community look at them, they see the wonderful life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When Jesus looks at us what does He see? Hypocritical living or real faith?

While eating lunch at one Pharisee's house, he noted Jesus didn't go through the customary cleansing before He ate. There were laws of cleansing designed to show by an outward symbol the need to have one's heart cleansed of wickedness. Jesus pointed out they were robbing the people through their business dealings and loopholes of the law. He pointed out they were not being fair to the poor and acting unjustly. They were also very proud that they tithed even their spices, 10% goes to God.  Our Lord wants us to become, by the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit, cheerful givers based on the needs that are presented before us,

The Pharisees would go the synagogue faithfully and sit in the front seats. Jesus saw their hearts. It was a show. As they walked in their long robes through the market place instead of around it, it was their great need to stop the common man as well as the merchants in the midst of their day so that they would call out a greeting. The Jesus gave His judgment of their character by saying that the Pharisees, as a class, were like unmarked graves and everyone who touched them became unclean because they were teaching a corrupt view of God and His words.

The religious leaders had made the law so confusing, so complex, that when people had genuine questions about how to have eternal life, they could not say it clearly, so the people walked away in disgust. In the process of confusing the common man, they became confused themselves and couldn't find the key to eternal life. Christ had come to offer light, but the Pharisees and scribes bound men in darkness. How often today do religious leaders not clearly tell someone how to get to heaven for sure.

The bottom line is that they sought to gain the righteousness of God by works of the Law of Moses and the traditions of men. They refused to place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Messiah and Savior and depend on the Holy Spirit to empower them to keep the Law of God, not the traditions of men.

Dear people, it is not the life that shines like a light in darkness that keeps people from God, but people who claim to be Christians who have become greedy, prideful, pompous, legalistic folks, who do not demonstrate love, but compares themselves to one another.

Satan has been defeated at the cross, but not until Christ returns will he be out of our picture.  Be aware, just like Jesus was opposed, so you and I will face Spiritual attack, false accusations, public expectations, and hypocritical living.