The Leaven of Hypocrisy

Luke 12:1-12

While I was in high school, one day my folks had to leave very early. I was to cook breakfast for my brothers and sisters, before catching the bus myself. I decided to make biscuits and gravy, but in my hurry, trying to get everything done, I forgot to add the baking powder to the dough. The biscuits were almost as hard as a rock, and didn’t taste very good.

The baking powder serves as a leavening agent, producing gas that makes the dough rise as it cooks, softening it. While it works by a chemical reaction, most natural leavening agents depend on the action of bacteria or other organisms which produce gas as a result of consuming sugar or starch in the dough. The quantities should be so small as to be almost undetectable in the dough, since excessive amounts cause the dough to rise excessively, and release the gas to the air, causing the cake or loaf to fall, when it may become almost as hard as if it never had any to start with. While the leaven makes the bread easier to eat, it offers no food value itself, and is an impurity. Almost all leavenings cause health problems if taken in excessive quantities.

Jesus had just condemned the behavior of both the lawyers and the Pharisees. While the Pharisees had a great deal of good in what they taught, there was an impurity that could cause problems if allowed to grow in ones life. The leaven was, and is hypocrisy. It is especially important that Christians understand the danger.

“In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” (Luke 12:1-3)

It is so easy to slip into a habit of judging others for their sin while excusing the same or similar sins in our own life. Romans 2:1 warns, “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” Rather than focusing on the behavior of others, Romans 14:13 instructs that we should focus on the effects of our own behavior. “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.” Failure to do so leads to pride and sin on our part, and God will not ignore our sin because some one else was worse. Unconfessed sin will be published publicly. It is better to confess it ourselves than to ignore it. There will be greater damnation for those who have known and accused others while doing the same.

“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:4-7)

It is easy to be intimidated by the number and apparent power of those around us and not speak out about the Lord and what is right. We need to understand that the worst they can do to us is to kill us. If they do so, as Paul says, in II Corinthians 5:6-9, “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.” What to them is the worst possible thing is to us desirable. We know how much God loves us, so what they do to us isn’t anything to worry about. We do have to worry about what God thinks, however.

“Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.” (Luke 12:8-10)

What we say under duress is an indicator of what we think. Whether we really trust God or not will show up when we are under pressure. Luke 6:45 advises, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." How we respond to others about our faith indicates whether it is real to us, or just words. Whether we recognize the Holy Spirit’s work as from God or not indicates whether we are really saved. He is the one who gives assurance of salvation, and his absence is a clear sign that one is not saved, according to Romans 8:9. When the Holy Spirit is the one guiding our tongue, it will greatly change the outcome.

“And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.” (Luke 12:11-12)

Several years ago, the Christian Law Association was stressing how important it was to plan your defense before you were arrested. Their recommendations were exactly contrary to Christ’s command. It only emphasizes how completely we have moved from walking in the Spirit to dependence on the flesh.

During the Scopes Monkey Trial, which resulted in the adoption of evolution as the official government stance, Clarence Darrow was selected to present the biblical view, because he was the most respected lawyer of the day. Despite months of preparation, he was soundly defeated. What do you think would have happened if they had depended on the Holy Spirit to guide the defense rather than human wisdom? I suspect that the results would have been far more pleasing to God.

We need to learn to depend on God in every situation, rather than doing things our own way.