DCLM Daily Manna 23 February 2024 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — How To Deal With Hypocrisy
TOPIC: How To Deal With Hypocrisy (DCLM Daily Manna 23 February 2024)
KEY VERSE: “And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness” (Luke 11:39).
TEXT: Luke 11:37-54 (KJV)
37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
MESSAGE:
Hypocrisy can be described in many ways. It is professing to be what one is not, denying what one is, claiming ignorance of what one knows, claiming knowledge of what one is ignorant of, teaching others to do what one cannot do, doing what one cannot teach, acting to suppress the truth in anyway and setting standards for others apart from oneself.
In many parts of Christ’s teachings, He warned believers against behaving as the Pharisees do. One of their traits, which He condemned in our text is hypocrisy. The Lord told His disciples (and believers today) to be wary of the leaven of the Pharisees because all that men do in the open and secret are laid bare before God, the ultimate Judge. In all, the Lord reiterated the sovereignty of God and the need to fear Him. The disciples were warned not to fear men who can only kill but God who can both kill and cast into hell. He knew that the fear of men will breed hypocrisy in the disciples.
The Church is bedevilled by hypocritical actors who operate in the garb of Christianity. Many who profess to know Christ have embraced the leaven of hypocrisy. While some become hypocritical in order to please themselves or silence their consciences, others want to please someone, somewhere.
The Lord sternly warns against the leaven of hypocrisy in its entirety. Believers are to shun this cancerous leaven in their day- to-day dealings with God and man. This is because the teachings of the Pharisees have become more common and seemingly authoritative in our world today. Yet, believers must recognise that the world’s corrupting influence can only lead to the slippery slope of hell. And you must never be entangled therein.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Hypocrisy and apostasy not only sound alike, they lead to the same place – hell.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Judges 18-21
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
