A heart that is right with God
Pretending to be better than you really are is called hypocrisy, and it’s also a lie. You do things to impress people, not because you really want to do good. Jesus wants to teach us something that is very important for our lives.
Perhaps Jesus realized that being just a little bit dishonest is something we people find very easy to do. Most people know that saying something that is not true at all is a lie. But what about saying something that is a little true and a little untrue? Mixing it up a bit, so that I can wriggle out of a difficult situation, for example. Or not saying anything at all about something bad I’ve done, but pretending everything is fine. Is that being honest? Not for Jesus. Those who want to be His disciples should care about what God thinks about them, not do things just to impress other people. Because God looks at the heart, so He knows everything we really think and what our motivation is for what we do. Jesus wants us to learn truth from Him, which is why He strongly warned His disciples against hypocrisy.
He once said to them: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Luke 12:1.
The disciples probably never forgot what Jesus had told them about hypocrisy. A little lie, a little falsehood, is something we must take very seriously. Because if it is allowed to remain in our heart, then our heart is not right with God.
But we can choose to have a heart that is right before God. We can be those who are not hypocrites. Jesus knows that we need help to do good. So we don’t have to pretend to be better than we are, because Jesus wants to help us exactly as we are. We can pray to Jesus and tell Him everything about how we feel, and He will help us. Jesus will do this for all who seek Him honestly and truly.
Film 1: A quarrelsome person who can smile nicely
This little film shows a fairly everyday situation: A husband and wife are arguing furiously, but as soon as they spot Nicodemus, an important man, their argument suddenly stops, and they smile and talk in such a nice way.
The film can be used to get children to reflect on what hypocrisy means, before the main film that will follow a little later.
Film 2: Do not be like them
The film begins after an incident Jesus and his disciples experienced. So before the movie begins, it should be introduced with the backstory.
In the days of Jesus, there were some Jews who were better – or more important – than others. Not to God, but in the Jewish community there. For example, there were the Pharisees, who were men who were supposed to know a lot about God and the scriptures. They were supposed to help others to live correctly, to keep God’s laws. The Pharisees knew a lot about what was right and wrong, and they pretended to do everything right. But they were not the way God wants us to be. They were not righteous and did not do God’s will. For example, they were not merciful to others. They thought they were better than others, and they really wanted to be praised and honored. That is not being righteous. But since they pretended to be righteous, they were actually lying. They were hypocrites.
One day, Jesus and His disciples were in town and they were about to eat. Some Pharisees saw that the disciples forgot to wash their hands first. Washing before eating was part of the Jewish law. And so the Pharisees went to Jesus and scolded Him because the disciples had been forgetful. The Pharisees believed that the disciples had become unclean before God.
But Jesus spoke back to them, because He knew they were hypocrites. They did not keep God’s law themselves, and they did things that were much worse in God’s eyes than what the disciples had done. The atmosphere was pretty bad. The Pharisees were furious with Jesus, and maybe the disciples were a little bit embarrassed. They didn’t quite understand everything. But when they were alone with Jesus, they could ask Him. .
The film itself shows the conversation between Jesus and His disciples afterwards. And two of the friends who are with them think back to other situations they have experienced, where Jesus has explained to them about hypocrisy. One about how some people like to show off while giving money to the temple, and the other one about how the Pharisees like to stand on street corners where people can see them when they pray. To get honor from people. But Jesus says that they have already received their reward. They have no reward from God.
Questions for discussion
Bible verses that go with the theme
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”
Luke 12:1
“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking …”
1 Peter 2:1
“… not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart …”
Ephesians 6:6
