Matthew 22:15-19
15
Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.
16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians,
saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God
truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not
swayed by appearances.17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to
pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said,
“Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?
The hypocrite wants to test Jesus, he wants to entangle Jesus in his words. The hypocrite gives an appearance of respect towards God but really is out to prove Him wrong. The hypocrite is not asking questions in order to get answers but to score points.
Am I a hypocrite? Am I asking questions because I am interested in the answer or because I think they can't be answered? Do I enjoy debating apologetics because I like to win arguments? Am I playing devil’s advocate in my Christian community just because I like to stir people up? Do I have a gracious attitude when colleagues at work disagree with my beliefs, or do I react aggressively to prove them wrong?
If I have set myself up against God, there is only ever going to be one winner. I need to repent and humble myself before God. God does not need to prove himself to me yet he graciously does tell us about himself in the Bible. I can discuss difficult issues with Christians and non-Christians graciously, with the aim of trying to focus on Jesus, rather than me.
hypocrites series