Careless preachers

Do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

– Matthew 23:3

Some opponents of Christianity may not be so much against Jesus as they are against hypocrisy. Ironically, it hasn’t occurred to them that no one was more opposed to hypocrisy than Christ Himself.

We’ve all met scoffers who mindlessly parrot the phrase, "The church is full of hypocrites!" But let’s not be mindless in our response and dismiss such pronouncements without taking heed lest they be true.

We tend to think that it’s not true of us. But let’s think again. How many times have we been like the woman who glanced through her window, only to see a nosy, noisy neighbor approaching her door! Her young, impressionable children heard her as she grumbled, "Oh, no – not her again!" Whereupon she opened the door and gushed insincerely, "How very nice to see you!"

Our lips and our lives often preach a mixed message, Jesus described the hypocritical teachers of the law and warned His disciples, "Do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do" (Matthew 23:3).

God forbid that some opponents of Christ would be influenced by careless hypocrisy in our lives. Lord, help us to be careful "preachers". – Joanie Yoder

You put us in this darkened world

To shine as sons of light,

So help us, Lord, not dim the truth

But keep our colors bright.

– Dennis De Haan

READ: Matthew 23:1-3, 27-28

It’s a mistake to think that we can impress the world by compromising with it.