DCLM DAILY MANNA DEVOTIONAL FOR APRIL 26, 2023 (COUNSEL AGAINST HYPOCRISY)
TOPIC : COUNSEL AGAINST HYPOCRISY
Text: Mark 12:35-44 (KJV)
35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?
36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.
38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
40 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
KEY VERSE: “And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces.” – (Mark 12:38)
MESSAGE
The Master’s counsel to His disciples against the leaven of Pharisaic hypocrisy is noteworthy. Jesus knew clearly how damaging hypocrisy and its practice can be in the life of God-seeking believers.
In every encounter the Master had with the scribes and Pharisees, He would warn His disciples to distance themselves from the views of these adversaries of Christ. Such expressions as ‘beware…’, ‘take heed to yourselves…’, are reflective of the warnings to avoid both the teaching and practice of the hypocrites.
Hypocrisy or duplicity is a self-deluding sin. It defiles, demeans and devalues a soul before God. It is a tool in the hands of Satan to make a man/woman build his/her hope on sinking sand. The miry ground of self-deception is part of what Jesus would not allow any of His followers to experience.
The Master catalogued the hypocritical attitude of the Pharisees and Scribes to include gorgeous ceremonial dressing to command respect, receiving religious greetings in public places, seeking the highest seats in the synagogues and social gatherings and pretentious long prayers while defrauding and defiling widows around them. The hypocrite must understand “That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?” (Job 20:5). They will not escape God’s judgment except they repent.
Our God hates hypocrisy. It is the bane of true worship of God and must be avoided by true worshippers at all costs. These are the Lord’s demands from us.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The hypocrite has the worst career in life – he deceives himself in an attempt to deceive others.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Joshua 1-4
Daily Manna is the daily devotional of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry (DCLM) written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi. It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.
