A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW 

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH      

Matthew 23:3 (Read verses 1 – 12) “ . . . for they do not practice what they preach.”  

In today’s devotional verses Jesus addresses the sin of hypocrisy. Wikipedia has the following definition for hypocrisy: “Hypocrisy is the practice of feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not. The word "hypocrisy" entered the English language c. 1200 with the meaning "the sin of pretending to virtue or goodness". Today, "hypocrisy" often refers to advocating behaviors that one does not practice. However, the term can also refer to other forms of pretense, such as engaging in pious or moral behaviors out of a desire for praise rather than out of genuinely pious or moral motivations. 

In today’s devotional verses, Jesus said the Pharisees did not practice what they preached. Verse 4 says of the Pharisees, “They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” The Pharisees, Jesus said, did what they did for show, to bring honor upon themselves at banquets, earn the most important seats in the synagogues, and call attention to themselves in the marketplace. The Pharisees were hypocrites.   

Jesus concluded today’s devotional verses with these words regarding how a believer lives, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” St. Paul exhorts, “. . . in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)  

Prayer: Holy Spirit, created in me a pure heart and a right spirit for Jesus’ sake. Amen. 

Christ, our human likeness sharing,   
Heaven’s love on earth portrayed;  
Christ the Shepherd, tending, caring,  
In His death our ransom paid;  
Christ the Savior, Christ the Servant,   
Be Your life in us displayed. 

Hear the word that Christ has spoken,  
Help the weak, the hungry feed;  
See the pow’rs of darkness broken,  
Sinners pardoned, captives free:  
Christ the Savior, Christ the Servant,  
Help us meet our neighbor’s need. 

Christ, in ev’ry congregation   
Built Your temple, stone by stone,  
With Your word as firm foundation  
For a faith matured and grown:  
Christ the Savior, Christ the Servant,   
Make in us Your Gospel known. 

Come, O living Christ, renew us,  
As of old in wind and flame;  
With the Spirit’s pow’r endue us,  
Servants of Your saving name:  
Christ the Savior, Christ the Servant,  
Christ whose kingdom we proclaim.  

Christ, Our Human Likeness Sharing // LSB 847