Bible Discourse 55 Jesus condemns Hypocrisy and self-serving judgment in Religion and Law

Discourse 55

Jesus condemns Hypocrisy and self-serving judgment in Religion and Law

And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner.

And the Lord said unto him, “Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.  Ye fools, did not He that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

“Woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. 

“Woe unto you, scribes and  Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.”

Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, “Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.”

And he said, “Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! For ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

“Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  Truth ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute’: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zechariah, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, it will be required of this generation.

“Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering they hindered.”

                                                                        Luke 11:37—52

 
“Woe unto you, scribes and  Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

“Woe unto you ye blind guides, which say, ‘Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!’ Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, ‘Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.’  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by Him that dwelleth therein.  And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth thereon.”

                                                               Matthew 23:15—22

And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak opf many things: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

In the mean time, when they 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 11:53—12:3

And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that he had not first washed before dinner.

And the Lord said unto him, “Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.  Ye fools, did not He that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.                        Luke 11:37—42

Parallel reference:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and arise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.  Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.  Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and the platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.                                  Matthew 23:23—26

Jesus said:

You must clean within than without. You must cleans inner mental and spiritual faculties which is primary so that you be a giver of spiritual alms to others. The inner life of ‘extortion and excess’ is very important. When the conscious is cleans then ‘behold, all things are clean unto you.’ Otherwise ‘O you hypocrites, blind with ignorance you will reap much woe due to your evils.’ 

                                                                                                                  

“Woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.                              Luke 11:43

Parallel reference:

And he said unto them in his doctrine, “Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the market placers, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feast: which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive damnation.”  Mark 12:38—40

“But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets and to be called of men, ‘Rabbi, ‘Rabbi.’                                          

“But be not ye called ‘Rabbi’: for one your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.  and call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.  Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted...

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the great damnation"                                            Matthew 23:5—12, 14

Jesus said: “Woe unto you, Pharisees”—Do not seek acclaim through pretentious display of superficial spirituality.  O, hypocrites, you will attract misery unto yourselves through your love of man’s recognition, having no conscience as to your standing in God’s eyes.  “Ignorantly you covet the prominent seats in the synagogues and uppermost rooms at feasts.  Jesus cited tawdry sham of the “scribes and Pharisees” who sought to appear impressive by “making broad their phylacteries. 

Jesus said: one should not thrive for titles of honour as a status symbol. The onus behind such honours as “rabbi” or “master”, for one is your Master, even Christ. There is only one Master, Omnipotent God, whose universal reflection is the Christ Consciousness. We are all His children, He is only our Father. So, Jesus said: ‘Call no man your father upon earth.’  “Ye are gods”  John 10:34.   

 A master may be Jeevan mukta, liberated while living. Jeevanmukta who is free from all karmic bondages, past and present, is siddha, a perfected being. In Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the devotee remains conscious of the world as well as God. Savikalpa samadhi is lesser than that in which while in meditation he will remain with God. In Savikalpa samadhi you will merge with God. In Nirvikalpa samadhi you will merge with yourself with yourself. That is why Jesus said: “The greatest among you is he who is humblest and the most serviceful.”  Shed ego. “Whosoever shall exaggerate the merit of his ego in order to attract peoples’ praise and favour will instead be found out.”

When you are everything, and in each and everything, where is ego?    .     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

“Woe unto you, scribes and  Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.”   Luke 11:44

(a person who touched a grave considered unclean for seven days. –Jewish law Numbers 19:16)

Parallel reference:

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and inequity.”          Matthew 23:27—28

Jesus said: “Woe unto you, scribes and  Pharisees, hypocrites”.  Your external purity cannot influence cannot influence the internal mental purity under no circumstances. You are unclean like graves.

                

Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, “Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.”

And he said, “Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! For ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Parallel reference:

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.  For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  Matthew 23:1—4

Jesus said: You put so much burden, financial or otherwise on the poor devotees. You yourselves will not do any work. Jesus observed that the Pharisees occupied the Mosaic seat of authority, supposedly as custodians of the teachings of Moses. Therefore, Jesus advised his disciples to observe whatever good rules they were asked to follow but to discard all other sundry rules.  

“Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.  Truth ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute’: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zechariah, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, it will be required of this generation.

“Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering they hindered.”       Luke 11:47—52

Parallel reference:

“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in...

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tomb of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, “If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakes with them in the blood of the prophets.’  Wherefore ye be witness unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

“Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar,  Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation.  

                                                                      Matthew 23:13, 29—36

Jesus then further accused the scribes and Pharisees of hypocrisy “because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous. They were slain by your father. You will disown the deeds of your fathers to pretend as though nothing has been done. If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers of the blood of prophets. The cumulative effects of good and bad actions affect the destiny of nations.  You human serpents, you generation of evildoers, you shall not escape. According to the law of karma, bad vibrations vibrates the ether upon this present wicked generation.  It causes untold miseries.

 It is the cause of famines, fires, epidemics, pestilence, earthquakes, wars, bloody feuds and strifes, debauchery, and wickedness.

A passage from the Old Testament book of Nehemiah (9:25—28) describes such treatment of the Hebrew prophets , part of the recurrent cycles of forgetfulness of God, karmic punishment, and subsequent repentance.

Jesus said: The blood of the prophets shall be required of this generation. You scribes and Pharisees, your hypocrisy and ill intent brings you untold misery.

“Woe unto you, scribes and  Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

“Woe unto you ye blind guides, which say, ‘Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!’ Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, ‘Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.’  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by Him that dwelleth therein.  And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth thereon.”

                                                                                      Matthew 23:15—22

Jesus said: “Woe unto you” – Anyone who by evil actions or words defile the altar of the body, also defiles the sole which resides in the body temple.  Altar of the body is also important in that it holds the soul-gift. If soul-gift is defiled then you are automatically treating Spirit sacrilegiously.  No one should transgress against laws.

   

And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.

In the mean time, when they 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 11:53—12:3

Jesus said: Nothing can be hidden. All good and bad motives will be known either today or tomorrow because they speak themselves. Evil cannot be hidden. Even if you speak in whispers or in closets of secrecy it will be made known. God knows everything.