Matthew 23:1-3

Matthew 23:1-3 (ESV): “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”

The church is full of men who don’t practice what they preach. That is called hypocrisy. No one is perfect, but we must do our best to take our own advice before offering it to others.

The scribes and Pharisees were the biggest hypocrites in Israel. They would sit on the seat of Moses—which refers to teaching the law—but they would not practice what they preached. Thus Jesus instructs His disciples to do what “they” say (meaning follow the Word of God), but not to do what they do.

Do you practice what you preach? No one is perfect, but transparency will keep you from hypocrisy. We should strive to live out the things we instruct others to do. And when a person fails, we should preach grace and forgiveness. Love covers a multitude of sins. Don’t be a hypocritical Christian. Be real. Be transparent. And most of all, be mighty in word and deed, just as Jesus was. Amen.

Father, thank You for giving us the perfect example in Your Son. Make us mighty in word and deed just as He was and is. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.