Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”

Hypocrisy is used over and over again as a reason for people refusing to follow Jesus or go to church. I am not surprised. First, churches are made up of sinners, some of whom are saved by grace and some who have not yet been saved. Those saved are in the process of being perfected. Second, those judging the hypocrisy in others must really take a hard look at themselves too. Sometimes we use “hypocrisy” as an excuse to not be real with others.

Two groups of people are mentioned in this setting: First, there is the crowd of thousands of people, and second, the disciples. While we don’t know if this is a reference to the 12 apostles he called, or if it includes those who also traveled with him, it is definitely a smaller group. Jesus could have focused on being popular with the masses and in such a way gained power and control in his earthly life. But instead, he preaches a hard message. He makes two main points: 1) Do not be a hypocrite like the Pharisees, and 2) Don’t fear a mere man or group of men. Fear God!

I find it interesting to think about fear, and try to understand how it drives us in life. What do you fear? Fears can include the fear of rejection, the fear of aloneness/loneliness, the fear of death, the fear of being wrong, the fear of suffering, the fear of crowds, the fear of embarrassment, the fear of failure, the fear of losing power, position, or control, etc. And to respond to these fears, many people (including myself) have done many strange things, made poor choices, and spent much of life trying to guard against one area of fear in our lives.

For me, it was the fear of rejection. I worried about this so much, I would write people off if they ever disappointed me (before they could reject me), worked hard to earn people’s favor (gain approval), and logically tried to solve problems to show how good I was at my job (gain approval). The problem was, I was doing these things for a selfish reason — to protect myself from something I had very little control over. When I was betrayed, rejected, or hurt, I would become angry and lash out. Or I would isolate myself and fall away from effectiveness in life. Or I would “beat myself up” over my mistakes. This is just my example of how fear can wreak havoc in life. It kept me from realizing my God-given potential through a life lived in service to God by the power of Jesus Christ.

What does your fear look like?

Jesus’ point here is that the problem with people who are driven by fear is that they act in a manner not consistent with their stated values and beliefs. FEAR DRIVES THEM to compromise truth and cave under pressure. In fear, they become hypocrites.

The Pharisees were a great example of this. They feared anyone who might gain power or take away attention or position from them. They wanted to stay in control. Though Jesus was preaching the truth and trying to lead them into a new way to live, they were afraid of admitting they needed help. They did not want to admit that they were sinners and that they had internal problems. When we have to put on a facade of perfection or importance to others (to hide our internal sin and struggles), we are letting fear drive us to ineffectiveness in our lives and we become selfish.

Who can free us from the vicious cycles of fear that reign in this world?

This world operates by fear, deception, and lies. Why? Because it is under the rule of the Prince of Darkness and the Father of Lies, the Devil. And prior to asking Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, we are stuck in a world controlled by fear. But when we give ourselves to Jesus as his bondservants, he BREAKS THE HOLD OF FEAR on our lives. He conquered sin and death. He can also conquer the hold that fear has on us.

I love this passage in Romans: “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey FROM YOUR HEART the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been SET FREE from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬-‭18‬, emphasis mine)

Sometimes, we just need to be reminded of “whose we are” and live in the freedom Jesus Christ attained for us by dying on the cross for our sins and rising again victorious!

So today, my friends, let us live in victory and vow to fear only God! We can put our hope and trust in his saving work in our lives and our future with him in heaven.

Lord, thank you for these clear instructions on how we should live in freedom. Help me to steer clear of hypocrisy, and only fear and give allegiance and obedience to you. My heart is yours to shape. Mold me in your righteous ways!