Luke 12:1-3 tells us;
“Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying:
“BE ON YOUR GUARD against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.”
It’s been an especially busy day of ministry for Jesus and His men. There’s a crowd a MANY THOUSANDS who have gathered around, hoping to listen to His teachings and witness His miracles.
Jesus had recently finished eating at a Pharisee’s house, and must have been agitated after having to confront him for his hypocrisy. He ended up exposing a number of breakdowns in this man’s empty ‘religious’ ways, and provoked the group of Pharisees to begin opposing Him fiercely. Jesus isn’t finished talking about these broken ways, and continues sharing His heart about them in front of this crowd of thousands.
Now, I get the impression that the Pharisees LOVED big crowds – especially when they were in the middle of it all. Fame, notoriety, and attention were all theirs to gain, and they really knew how to put on a show to get it. But in this moment, they must have been crawling in their own skin.
Jesus begins teaching His followers to protect themselves from this trap of showmanship, and the heartbeat of His message becomes very clear:
‘Don’t be someone you’re really not, especially when you’re in front of others.’
‘Don’t strive to be famous… strive to be authentic.’
‘Don’t allow the pressure of a crowd to push you to into hypocrisy.’
Jesus had an axe to grind and He was working it fiercely. He was showing them that when we are in front of others, temptations come that can morph us into someone publicly that we really aren’t privately.
He called this the ‘yeast’ of the Pharisees, and identified it as hypocrisy – the practice of professing and projecting something that is contrary to our true self. It’s no secret that Jesus didn’t mince words when it came to the Pharisees.
This had nothing to do with the religious sect they belonged to, and everything to do with the state of their hearts, which is a little unnerving to me. It means that I don’t have to actually BE a Pharisee to live like one. It can happen to ANYBODY, but Jesus wants it happening to NOBODY.
He said we should be on guard. He said we should be diligent and watchful. He said we should make sure this ‘yeast’ of hypocrisy doesn’t invade our lives and ruin everything.
At the end of the day, most of us want to put our best foot forward, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Job interviews, first dates and sports tryouts demand our very best, and so do the promises and commitments we make to God.
But we need to do everything we can to MAINTAIN giving our best in all these things as well! On the job site, in the marriage, and for the Lord – because these continue to deserve our very best as well.
May God help us all, as we live a life of professing AND practicing our very best for Him!
