Matthew 27:6
‘The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them in the temple treasury, since it is money paid for blood.”’
This is almost comical. Here the priests arrested Jesus, had false witnesses at His trial, condemned to death their messiah, God’s Son, and they are worried about being unlawful. Here’s what Jesus said about them in Matthew 23:24, “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” That is funny.
Jesus called them hypocrites often. Today’s verse is a great example. I’ve heard pastors comment on the charge of being hypocrites. Some may say that they don’t want to attend church as there are too many hypocrites there. The punch line is something like, “Don’t worry about it because if you joined there would be one more”. The point is we have all been hypocrites and probably will be again if we aren’t now.
The oddity of this charge is we rarely know when we are being hypocritical. Jesus addresses this in Matthew 7:3-5, “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!” We should ask ourselves or God if we are guilty of this error in which we are bothered in another’s life.
To have this trait is to be poor in spirit. We know we are fallible, yet forgiven. There is almost a natural reaction to see if we are guilty. This isn’t because we are so spiritual, but because we are in God’s Word. It’s a mirror that allows us to see ourselves. It’s a constant reminder of our fallible flesh.
We can also get insight into ourselves by being in fellowship. Proverbs talks about “iron sharpening iron”. Hebrews 11:13 says, “But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness”. By being with one another we encourage each other. We could be sharing something that God has done. That in itself prompts us to do the same.
God You are so good. As we walk with You the Holy Spirit makes us better. Thank You.