Sunday Sermon

"Hypocrites"
[Mark 11:12-26]
July 30, 2006 Second Reformed Church

What happened after the Triumphal Entry? The liturgical calendar might lead us to believe that Jesus was arrested and tried right after His coronation ride. But we're told that Jesus got off the colt, walked around the temple, and then, being tired, left Jerusalem, and found a place in Bethany to spend the night.

In the morning, Jesus woke up and He was hungry -- Jesus is, after all, wholly human as well as wholly divine -- He needed to eat to sustain His flesh, just as we do. So Jesus stood up and looked around, and He saw a fig tree in the distance -- a fig tree that was covered with leaves, indicating that it was bearing fruit. So Jesus went to the fig tree to pick figs from it, to assuage His hunger, but when He got to the tree, He found nothing on the tree but leaves. There were no figs.

Jesus became enraged, and He cursed the tree and revoked the blessing of "be fruitful and multiply" that God has given from the beginning. Jesus cursed the fig tree and commanded it never to be fruitful again. And the disciples heard Him.

Now, we might look at this history and wonder if Jesus got up on the wrong side of the bed: wasn't it an over-reaction to curse the tree and make it barren, just because it didn't have any figs on it? After all, our text says that it was not the time for figs.

Rather than going with our gut reaction, we need to consider what happened and consider it within the whole of the Scripture. Jesus is Holy, so He could not have over-reacted and thereby sinned. That is not a possibility. So how else might we look at this text? This text has to do with hypocrisy, which is not to say that plants have wills and can be hypocritical, but the tree serves as an example to them and us, of the sin of hypocrisy.

A hypocrite, we understand, is someone who looks as though he's bearing fruit, but does not. He is someone who makes an outward profession of religion -- of belief -- but actually does not believe. He is someone who works hard at looking like someone he is not -- in this case -- a member of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Surely we know such people. They come to worship, and they look like good people. They do what appears right in everyone’s eyes. But in actuality, they do not believe, they do not bear the fruit befitting righteousness. A hypocrite cannot posses the results of real faith in Christ when there is no real faith.

John the Baptist said, "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ... Even now the axe is laid at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 3:9, 11). And Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

What does the fruit of real faith look like? Paul wrote, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23), "For the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true" (Ephesians 5:9).

If this does not describe you, beware, the axe is laid at the root, and all those who do not bear fruit will be thrown into the fire. If our words are not substantiated by our actions, we are hypocrites, and hypocrites have no place in the kingdom of God.

After Jesus cursed the fig tree, they all went back into Jerusalem, and Jesus went into the temple, and John tells us that Jesus made a whip out of cords (John 2:15), and Jesus went throughout the temple consumed with zeal for the glory of God and filled with a holy anger for what He saw going on in the temple, and with a holy violence, He cast out those who bought and sold in the temple, He chased them out with the whip. He overthrew the tables of the money changers, and He threw down the chairs of those selling doves.

What did Jesus see that so upset Him and caused Him to go on a holy rampage through the temple? Jesus saw that animals were being sold for sacrifices and money was being changed for offerings, in the temple of God. Now, the Law said that these things were to be provided for those who were traveling long distances, so they could purchase their sacrifices when they arrive -- healthy and appropriate for sacrifice. But the animals were to be sold outside of the temple, not in the holy place itself. And there is also the implication in the text that the animals were being sold at a profit and the money was being exchanged dishonestly. These were to be services for those who were needy, for those who had come long distances, for those who could do nothing else. So we see that a hypocrite offers help to the needy and then takes advantage of them.

Jesus also forbid the carrying of vessels through the temple. What is that about? The problem here is that people were using the temple as a short cut, and they were dragging their common items through the holy sanctuary, believing it didn't matter. A hypocrite like this calls something holy and then uses it for common use. It also emphasizes that even the small things matter to God: if God cares about whether or not a common vessel is brought through the temple, how much more does God care about our keeping the explicit commands He has given us? And if we believe that we ought to keep the commandments of God, will we not also be careful in the small things not to sin against God?

For example, a hypocrite calls the Bible "holy" and then uses it to balance a wobbly table. We are not to worship the holy things; they are not to become idols for us, but there is a respect and an honor due them, for the sake of the God with Whom they are associated.

So Jesus cleansed the temple for the sake of these two kinds of hypocrites: those who cheat the needy and those who treat the holy things as common. This was also done to fulfill the prophesy from the Psalms: "Zeal for your house will consume me" (John 2:17b).

And Jesus told the people at the temple what the point of the temple is -- not to become wealthy, not to cheat, even a little, not to become a den of thieves, no, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations." As Isaiah prophesied, "And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant -- these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them all joyful in my house of prayer, their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (Isaiah 56:6-7). And just notice quickly that the temple -- the house of the Lord -- is not just for the Jews, but for every person and people group who believes in the One True God.

The high priests and the scribes were outraged -- they got a cut of the profits, you see. And they sought a way to kill Jesus, but they had to be careful, because they were afraid of the crowd. The religious leaders, the people who knew the Scripture backwards and forwards, these denied what the Word of God said and hid from the crowd.

A hypocrite is one who hears the Word of God and denies it. Or, perhaps more ironically, a hypocrite is one who says he believes the Word of God but says it is not true. A common example and a famous preacher: we are told over and over in the Scripture to preach the whole Word of God, yet Rev. Dr. Robert Schuller said on national radio, that some parts of the Bible should not be preached.

As it became late, Jesus and the twelve and the other disciples left Jerusalem and began to walk back to Bethany, and they passed the same fig tree, and Peter was shocked, and called to Jesus, because the tree had completely withered away.

Jesus told them that they should have faith in God -- they ought to trust in God and the promises that God made. They should trust in the call of God upon them and follow Him, no matter how impossible the odds might be, because if God has willed something for our lives, and we pray for it in accordance with God's Will, there is no other outcome but that we shall receive what we have prayed for. Jesus gave the example of praying that the Mount of Olives would uproot itself and throw itself into the sea. Jesus said that if it was the will of God, and we prayed and did not doubt that the mountain would throw itself into the sea, but believed that it would surely happen, it would happen.

Now, let us understand that Jesus is not saying that we can "name it and claim it." He's not saying that if we have enough conviction, we can command anything we desire. No, what Jesus meant by this example is "whoever shall by a calling from God undertake or go about to do any great and difficult work, which may seem as hard or impossible, as the removing of a Mountain, shall have power to effect it: yet not of himself, but by the power of God, in whom he believeth, and upon whose power he resteth by faith" (George Petter, 857).

In other words, if God called Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery after 400 years and Moses believed God and prayed to God for the ability to carry out what God had called him to do, God would surely grant his prayer. If God called Noah to build an Ark and collect two or seven of every animal on the planet, and Noah believed God and prayed to God for the ability to carry out what God had called him to do, God would surely grant his prayer. And if God calls us to do something that we consider beyond our wildest ability to accomplish, and we believe God and pray to God for the ability to carry out this great thing that God has called us to do, God would surely grant our prayer. A hypocrite, however, prays, but doesn't believe God will grant him his request.

Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7). And again, "Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). "And this is the confidence that we have towards him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us" (I John 5:14). That is not to say that God is a magic slot machine -- remember, God will grant us whatever we ask, if it is what God wants -- the point is to become in tune with the Will of God. As the author of Hebrews puts it, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him" (Hebrews 11:6).

Finally, Jesus tells them and us that we must forgive before we can pray and before God will forgive us. A hypocrite asks for forgiveness, but will not forgive others, but a true believer forgives others first and then receives the Father's Forgiveness. The Psalmist wrote, "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened" (Psalm 66:18). And God said, "When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15).

Let us not be hypocrites, who come with all the pomp and show, looking like angels, while in reality we are trees without fruit, merchants without love, unforgiving and unforgen, holding high their bloody hands. Instead, let us come as humble and innocent followers of Jesus Christ. Let us bear fruit consistent with being forgiven -- let us do those good works God has prepared for us and help those in need, not expecting anything back. Let us solemnly and rightly bear the Name of Christ, coming into His Holy Sanctuary for worship, asking for forgiveness from those we have wronged, forgiving those who have wronged us, and receiving forgiveness for all these things from our God. And then, let us boldly pray in faith, trusting God's Promises, knowing with surety, that if we pray in accordance with God’s Will, not even a mountain can stand in our way.

Let us pray:
Almighty and Holy God, we come before You as a people who need Your forgiveness and Your Strength, day by day and hour by hour. Forgive us and cause the Holy Spirit to send us forth in Your Power to do those things You have prepared for us to do. May You be glorified in us as we follow You. And may we pray in faith, after You, knowing that Your Will will be done. We pray these things in the Name of our Savior, Jesus, Who has promised not to lose a single one of His people -- may these pews be filled with them, in Jesus' Name, Amen.