7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: 8 “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:7–9 (ESV)
An aphorism is a proverb, motto, or a concise word of wisdom. Common aphorisms include the following.
- “Actions speak louder than words.”
- “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
- “Do or do not, there is no try.” (Yoda from Star Wars).
- “Give a man an inch and he’ll take a mile.”
- “You can kill a man but you can’t kill an idea.”
- “Eat to live; don’t live to eat.”
Perhaps another aphorism, or slang expression at least, may include phrase “lip service.” It means to verbally support someone or something but that support is not shown in that individual’s actions. For example, “The governor gave/offered lip service to blue-collar workers, but she did nothing to help them.”
Jesus was well aware of people, specifically religious leaders, who simply gave lip service; not only to other people but also before God. The religious leaders said one thing but did just the opposite. They did not walk their talk.
Jesus confronted them by calling them hypocrites (ὑποκριτής; hypokrites). In the ancient world, a hypocrite was as stage actor. In other words, they were individuals who pretended to be someone, or something, they were not in reality. Therefore, Jesus was stating that the Pharisees and scribes pretended to be godly and holy. In reality, they were nothing of the kind.
The Lord quoted Isaiah 29:13 to support His evaluation. The text says, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
“Matthew could not have meant that Isaiah in writing Isaiah 29:13 was thinking of these Pharisees and scribes. He meant that what the prophet wrote concerning the people of his own day was still very relevant, for both then and now those condemned were honoring God with their lips while their hearts were far removed from Him,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
“As has been well said, the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart. Not the blood pumping vessel that is the concern of your cardiologist, but the seat of your personality that is the concern of the Gospel,” states Pastor Tom Ascol
“Jesus teaches us that there is something far more fundamental to our sinfulness than the actual sins we commit. Our sins do not make us sinful. Rather, we commit sins because, at the very center of our lives, we are sinful. Sin has invaded the inner recesses of our personalities.”
May each of us take Jesus’ words to heart and be what we say we are. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 