1 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
4 “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. 5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
As the Jewish leaders’ hostility grew, so did the crowds listening to Jesus. Jesus turned to His disciples and warned them of the leaven (yeast) of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. Leaven is often used Biblically to refer to something unhealthy that can permeate and take over. The warning is that hypocrisy will eventually become known. What you cover up and try to hide will eventually be revealed. If it is not revealed while you’re alive, your motives will be laid bare when you one day stand before Jesus. Because of this, it is far better your outward life is true to who you are on the inside. That doesn’t mean you have permission to be a say-it-like-it-is, wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve kind of person. The lesson is to be presentable and holy from the inside out.
The Pharisees yielded much power socially and so many would be tempted to conform to their way of living rather than heed Jesus’ words. But Jesus reminded them that it makes no sense to fear those who even have the power to kill you because after that there is nothing more they can do to you. Instead, fear the One who after you die has the authority to cast you into hell. God is the One who determines our ultimate fate. Do not live to please man, live to please God. If God is concerned about a single sparrow despite its insignificant cost, how much more does He care for you and me. John 3:16 reminds us how much He cares for us. He didn’t leave us with the fate of hell but sent His Son to die in our place so that our ultimate fate would be eternal life with Him—if we believe.
So, rather than choosing to conform to man’s ways, we should acknowledge Christ before men, especially in the face of opposition. If we boldly proclaim Christ, He will boldly praise us at the future judgment. If we shrink away and deny Him, we will be denied rewards in heaven. This is not talking about our salvation because salvation is not conditioned on acknowledging Christ—that would be a work and salvation is based on faith alone (Eph 2:8-9). Of those who had denied Jesus, the ones who rejected Him on the basis of His humanity were still offered forgiveness as they were still in a position to change their minds. But those who regonised the Holy Spirit’s work in the miracles that testified to Jesus as Messiah and still rejected Him would remain unforgiven. Finally, when it came to standing up for Jesus in the face of persecution, His disciples need not fear how they were to defend themselves because the Holy Spirit would provide the words they needed as they needed them.
In this godless world, how are you living your life? Are you scared of what others will say and so you keep your Christianity hidden? Or are you willing to boldly declare that Jesus is Lord of your life, living an outward expression of your inner change?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Law is Read and Sin Confessed: Nehemiah 8-9