Hypocrisy is the public display of virtuous actions or thoughts with the ultimate goal of drawing attention to one’s own moral superiority in contradistinction to others. Because it is sin, all peoples struggle at all times with the temptation of hypocrisy. However, the recent proliferation of portable communication devices and social platforms has made this particular vice especially enticing and pernicious. Our pride is stroked by the gaudy exhibition of our morality that clearly communicates virtually to the entire world our superiority to others in the community. Broadcasting our high-mindedness and uprightness also marks us as responsible and honorable members of society in contradistinction to the social outcasts in whatever way they are defined in the moment.
As Jesus directly criticized a whole host of common misconceptions in the Sermon on the Mount, He did not fail to address the perennial sin of hypocrisy. In Matthew 6:1–24, Jesus turned from correcting misunderstandings concerning the Law and the profound depth of sin to the matter of “practicing your righteousness before men” (NASB). He provided three illustrations from the culture of first-century Palestine that highlighted this perversion of morality and revealed its true motive and reward. His pointed judgment on this issue speaks to us just as much as it did to the Pharisees and Scribes of His day.
Giving to the Poor
Jesus opened his critique of hypocrisy by addressing benevolent giving. He cautioned His followers not to “sound a trumpet” in the synagogues or streets when they gave to the poor. That was how the hypocritical Pharisees and religious rulers behaved, because they desired to be “honored by men” (Mt. 6:2).
Beggars lined the streets and fairways of Jerusalem, waiting on the kindness of those who passed by. They fill the pages of the Gospels asking for the mercy of Jesus. According to the Law, the children of God were to give freely from an open hand to the needy and poor in their land (see Deut. 15:11). Jesus fulfilled this command in His life by regularly meeting the needs of the lame and needy and in His death by giving Himself as the payment for our sins.
However, the hypocrites of the day used this aspect of the Law to bring glory to themselves. Jesus warned His disciples not to call attention to their acts of kindness. This instruction seemed unusual to His audience, because that was how their leaders behaved.
Perhaps these leaders openly sought the praise of others, or, maybe, they simply argued that it was important for the common folks to see examples of benevolence from their leaders. Regardless of their stated reasons, Jesus explained that they were practicing generosity in order to receive the praise of the crowds. As a result, “I say to you, they have received their reward” (Mt. 6:2). He commanded His followers to avoid this trap by giving in secret so that their Father, “Who sees what is done in secret,” would reward them (6:4).
Prayer
Jesus turned to prayer next, pointing out the hypocrisy of those who prayed loudly in the synagogues and streets. Prayer is an essential part of our relationship with God. Jesus prayed regularly in the Gospels and even gave us instruction in the practice. The Apostle John described our prayers as incense on the golden altar before the throne of God in Revelation 5:8. However, prayer, like benevolence, can be turned to evil purposes.
The hypocrites relished standing in the courtyard of the synagogue and on the street corners, praying loudly for the crowd to hear. Jesus explained that the hypocrites were doing this to be seen by men rather than God. In Luke 18:9–14, Jesus addressed this same issue with a parable, revealing that the Pharisee who exalted himself in prayer went away unjustified while God would exalt the humble, repentant tax collector.
As in His first illustration, Jesus commanded His listeners to perform their religious duties in secret rather than before the crowd. Instead of praying on the street corner, He instructed them to go into an inner room and to shut the door behind them when they prayed. In this way, they would attune their focus to God rather than to those around them. More importantly, God would listen to them.
Fasting
For His final illustration, Jesus spoke about fasting. The hypocrites had also turned this important spiritual practice into a means of glorifying themselves. When they fasted, they purposely distorted their features and went about disheveled. Jesus concluded that men may notice such fasting, but not God.
To the contrary, Jesus exhorted His listeners to freshen up their appearance when they fasted. Rather than exhibiting their spiritual practice for all to see, they were to fast in secret so that God would see and reward them. Thus, in all three illustrations that He offered, Jesus was calling us to lay up our treasure in Heaven rather than to seek it in the accolades of the crowd.
Storing up Treasure
Rewards will follow our actions. Performing righteously before crowds will bring acclaim but not a lasting prize. Jesus warned us not to “store up . . . treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Mt. 6:19). This passage is often used to warn us against placing our faith in material goods or against hording wealth. However, the context of the passage suggests a broader application.
Jesus warned against the fleeting nature of earthly treasure as He concluded His diatribe against hypocrisy. With each illustration, He highlighted that the hypocrites were behaving in this manner because they sought the praise of man. Perhaps nothing is as fleeting as the pleasure of the crowd.
Yet the Pharisees knew no other way to live. As we have seen, they performed their religious duties with loud trumpet calls and extravagant displays. Moreover, they refused to say or do things that the crowd would not like. For example, they avoided arresting Jesus in the daylight because they feared the crowds (see Mt. 21:46; Mk. 12:12; Lk. 20:12). They also tried to trap Jesus into saying something unpopular, only to have Him turn the tables on them (Lk. 20:1–8). Having built their identity on public attention, the Pharisees had now become slaves to it. For “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:21).
The Gospels reveal another sad aspect of living for popular approval. For those who know only how to live with the support of the crowd, the mob is a key aspect of political action. When the Pharisees finally succeeded in arresting Jesus, they had Him brought before Pilate. By this point in the history of Rome, rulers, in order to retain power, needed the support of the multitude. When Pilate realized Jesus was not guilty and offered to release Him, the Pharisees stirred up the rabble to demand that Pilate release Barabbas, the murderer, instead. Thus, at the last, the unreasoning and easily manipulated mob guided by the Pharisees forced Pilate’s judgment.
Virtue Signaling
Living before the crowd is always a temptation for us. However, social media offers a uniquely potent way to appeal to the crowd. It also subjects us to incredible social pressure to conform to public opinion.
Politicians and other public figures have always faced these challenges, but now every small business owner, housewife, minister, and teenager is enduring the same temptation. Our social media feeds are replete with calls to support one political cause or another. Often, these posts present political positions as issues of morality. Failing to support or denigrate a specific cause can result in Twitter-mobs descending upon an individual to harangue them into conformity and submission.
In the face of such pressure, we must resist the temptation to practice our righteousness before the crowd. Before we click Post, we need to think deeply about precisely what we are saying and what our motivations are for broadcasting it. Even if we are declaring something true, we may be doing so for the wrong reason. Jesus was not criticizing the hypocrites for their religious actions, only for performing them before men.
Further, we need to give attention to the madness of crowds. Socrates perceived that even formal group action in the practice of pure democracy was prone to manipulation. Informal crowd activity is even more dangerous and easily becomes a mob bent on mass destruction. Pilate feared that a riot was about to break out in the city before he finally agreed to crucify Christ. Online mobs are just as unreasonable and dangerous. Perhaps online mobs also encourage us to consider physical mobs less unusual, as the social unrest of summer 2020 may suggest. The Roman historian, Lucan, offered prescient insight about the true results of mob justice like that which characterized the end of the Roman Republic, “The remedy surpassed all bounds, and followed on too far in chase of the disease. The guilty perished. Ah, yes—but only guilty men survived.”[1]
In the end, we need to be suspicious of those who trumpet their morality in person or online. Such public displays betray a desire for man’s approval rather than God’s. As Christians, we must avoid giving our hearts to the treasure of public opinion. Additionally, since crowd activity is prone to destruction, we should be very cautious about mass movements. Instead, let us practice our righteousness in secret; and our God, Who sees what is done in secret, will reward us.
[1]Lucan; quoted in Augustine, Concerning the City of God Against the Pagans, trans. Henry Bettenson (New York: Penguin, 2003), 127.
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