Bible Studies in the Gospel of Matthew

XXVII

Matthew 6:1-13, 16-18; Luke 12:1-3; Galatians 1:10; 1 Peter 2:1: Hypocrisy. Jesus says to beware of it. Therefore it is dangerous. In Luke 12:1 He says that we shall first of all “beware of the leaven of hypocrisy.” Therefore it is terribly dangerous! It is the worst of everything!

Hypocrisy is the state of wanting to be considered better than you are; wanting to be seen, honored, admired, and liked by people. It is on the same level as lying, guile, and deception. It is the opposite of standing and walking before God’s face.

When a person acts hypocritically, he receives his praise and reward from men and not from God. Then his works are in vain and his eternal reward is lost. Besides, he has been an extremely bad example to others.

We can divide hypocrisy into two degrees:

When the left hand is not supposed to know what the right hand is doing, it is obvious that another person should know it even less. We see that these words are of unlimited strength, so it is impossible to mistake what Jesus means by them.

For example, if you send your gift with another person, you may have succeeded in not letting the recipient know who gave it; yet at the same time you have managed to let the rest of the world know it, or have an opportunity to know it. You have, in a way, given it anonymously, and yet you have at the same time given a loud blast on the trumpet.

If you show someone a letter that begins with words of thanks for a more or less large gift because there is also so much else in the letter that is good, you also have been tricked by the sin of hypocrisy. If you thought that others should definitely hear something good or useful that was in the letter, you could have read it to them and skipped “thank you for the gift.”

Verses 17 and 18 show us what we have to reach out for in that respect. It is not enough that we should not desire to make our deeds known, nor that we should avoid divulging them by way of thoughtlessness or carelessness, but—and this is the most important point—we must consciously and intentionally move in the opposite direction and do our utmost to hide them so that we, in a manner of speaking, mislead others.

Here, as always, we must be aware of the fact that it is not a matter of first, last, and essentially the letter that matters, but it is the spirit, the purpose, the intention, and the motive that matters. It is “that they may be seen by men” that is the sin. You can even pray at a meeting—at a street corner—without transgressing the word: “Go into your room.”

Likewise you can also, by way of exception, because of certain, specific, and fully sensible reasons (for example) give gifts without them being anonymous. Then you absolutely do not do it to be seen and honored by men but for some noble motive. This motive must be greater than the value of giving the gift anonymously. In certain circumstances it can be of great saving significance that the person concerned knows that the gift came from you.

However, Jesus’ word is sure and urgent: “Take heed!”

XXVIII

Matthew 6:14-15; Colossians 3:12-15; 1 Corinthians 6:7: He who believes in the Son has eternal life if he forgives all his fellow men. If we confess our sins, He forgives us our sins, provided that we forgive all our fellow men.

If there is one person we have not forgiven, we are lost, regardless of how much evil he has done to us. The person who hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

The heart never becomes that hard all at once. It happens gradually. Satan is the accuser. He accuses God’s elect day and night. We are already in a bad state if we accuse our brother, but it can go very well if we are quick to forgive and to bear him.

On the other hand, if we are not so particular, accusation and intolerance will grow like a weed and cause us great loss or even to be lost in the end. It is the paved way to the abyss.

We must therefore learn to be awake so we do not bear a grudge against anyone. We should be as afraid of it as we are of Satan himself! It is definitely the worst of everything on earth! It is by far the greatest contradiction to love.

Therefore, the daily, insignificant occurrences that are called “sulking” or “being offended” and then going your way are forerunners of not being able to bear and forgive; forerunners of hatred and hardening; they are road signs to hell.

Love is the bond of perfection. If you abide in it, you cannot be offended and go your way. This bond is perfect; it never breaks!

It is therefore of the utmost importance not to admit the least amount of intolerance into your heart! Then you are safe!

It is vital to forgive and bear everyone, endlessly, at all times!!!

Most people with whom it has gone badly have been ruined on this very point. Even though they have given themselves over to all kinds of manifest evil, this was the original cause.