Morning Message Text: Matthew 23: 1-12
A Warning Against Hypocrisy
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Morning Message:
If you are a parent or grandparent, you have probably found these words coming from you at least once or twice in your lives. We know that we are supposed to be good examples to our children and that we should speak with our actions in a way that teaches our children right from wrong. But we all know that there are times when we want to impress upon young minds the need for them todo better than we have. We would rather our children not repeat the mistakes that we have made, and we have to confess that we want better for them. It doesn’t help to be hypocritical, but it also doesn’t help to be too proud to confess our shortcomings and admit when we are wrong. Do you know how refreshing it would be to hear people admit when they are wrong? This is a lost concept in society today. Have you noticed this? No one ever says; I was wrong. I want you to think about this. We are all human and prone to make mistakes. How then can it be that nobody is ever wrong. Listen to your politicians. I have never seen such perfect people. No matter what decision they make and no matter how wrong their decision might turn out to be, they cannot bring themselves to simply say, I was wrong. Not only that, they will continue to do the same thing and not change their minds because that might make them look wrong. I don’t know about you, but I would have so much respect for a leader who could simply say I was wrong, and I am going to try something else. Confession is not only good for the soul, it also builds character.
Pride is destroying this world, and as Christians we should not be surprised.
Pride is the original sin of Satan and of mankind. Pride, self-righteousness, and self-promotion is at the forefront of every conflict and war that has taken place on this earth. If everyone is right, then no one is wrong and if no one can admit to being wrong then disputes can never be settled. If you think about it, to say to our children, “Do as I say, not as I have done” is a valuable lesson in humility and the right way to parent. Think of it this way. Be like God. Take every part of your life, the good and the bad, and use it to create something good for yourself and others. What a world this would be if we could only get over ourselves and use all things for the good of others.
Listen to this advice from Jesus. The teachers and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. It is a place of respect where God’s law is read. So yes, by all means, do what they are telling you to do. But don’t do as they do. They preach God’s word from the pulpit, but they live like the devil. They expect everyone else to live by God’s laws, but they act like they should be exempt. They want to be honored. They are so proud, and they want to be treated special. Now don’t get me wrong; we should be respectful of those who serve God. But, if you think about it, we all should be serving God in our own way. It is so easy to get caught up in pride. It sneaks up on us, and many times we don’t see pride developing in us until it has a firm grip on us. I have seen this in the church. I am not a reverend, and anytime someone makes the mistake of calling me that I try to correct them. This is a level that I have not achieved, nor have I wanted to achieve. People make mistakes. Funeral directors sometimes assume that if you are presiding over a funeral and leading a congregation that you are a Reverend. I usually catch their mistake and correct it, but there have been times that I have appeared in the newspaper as Reverend. Nothing I can do about it when that happens. My friend, Tom once had this happen to him and someone in the Presbytery made him have the funeral director put a retraction in the paper. There is an example of self-pride.
Before I started at a church full-time, I used to travel around to different churches as a preacher. I tried always to remember and to remind others that I was not their Pastor. I was not leading a flock, I was just filling in. Kind of like a hired gun. I could go in and fire away and leave.
I have always preached to you the importance of actions. People need to see your faith more than they need to hear you proclaim it. Proclaiming God’s word is important, but if we fail to live the gospel, no one will follow our words. Yes, I hope and pray that my preaching will have a Holy Spirit effect on your life and make a difference for eternity. So, by all means, do as I say, but not always as I do. What do I mean by that? I am the first to confess that I have feet of clay. I am no better than any other born-again sinner. If you try to hold my life up as a shining example for how you should live, I am afraid that you will see an imperfect man – someone with the same struggles as you. I can only stand up here and preach God’s word to you because God has prepared me and given me the words, and I am but an empty shell full of God’s Spirit in these moments. So yes, do as I say from this pulpit, not as I do when I step away. Because I am no different than you. Prayerfully I will set a good example, and with God’s help lead this congregation, but I never lose sight of the sinner that Jesus saved.
One last thing: Jesus’ words give me pause. I wonder if anyone should carry a title of any kind. We should be careful of the titles that we give people. There is nothing wrong with the title on its surface, but how we perceive people, and how they perceive themselves because of their title; maybe we should give that some thought. Everyone has to draw their own conclusions, but for me, I will never refer to a human being as Holy Father; if that is what you think of when you call me Pastor, then you should refrain from it.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
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