LUKE CHAPTER 12 (PART 1): HYPOCRISY

Hypocrisy!
It’s the poisonous yeast
that lives inside of me.

It’s true!

When I read
the first paragraph
in Chapter 12
of the Book of Luke,
I immediately thought
of people like YOU, 
instead of me!

It’s a travesty!

As the crowd gets bigger,
people begin stepping
on each other -
and that is when 
Jesus
gave His warning!

He said,
“Beware of the yeast
of the Pharisees -
their hypocrisy!”
Luke 12:1

Wow!

Thank you Holy Spirit
for opening
my spiritual eyes
and allowing me to see!

This message has really
spoken to me,
on so many .... levels!

First, let me address the fungus!

Biblical yeast is a symbol of sin.
It represents the evil world that we live in.
It also represents the hearts of men,
who live outside the will of God.

And since leaven is symbolic of sin,
we are to develop a taste
for unleavened bread.

Jesus said,
“Truly, truly, I tell you,
unless you eat of my flesh,
and drink the blood
of the Son of Man,
you have no life in you.”
John 6:53

The Feast of Unleavened Bread
symbolizes how we are to live -
through honest reflection
and Godly mediation -
attached to God’s promises,
instead of scurrying around
like foolish men.

Repentance
shows Jesus
what our heart reflects!
It’s the recognition
that we have digested leaven,
and the request
that He remove it from us.

So here is the second level revelation,
this poison is not just a toxin
that gets into the body via swallowing,
inhaling or absorption through the skin!

No - this venom has a specific purpose
to kill the souls of men;
and it is intentionally injected
through a bite or a sting
from Satan,
the Prince of Demons!

Why do you think
Satan is portrayed as a snake
in the Garden of Eden -
Or a Great Red Dragon
in the Book of Revelation?

I am guessing
it is biblical symbolism,
not literalism -
but maybe I am wrong?

Paul eloquently states,
“Earthly people
are like the earthly man,
and heavenly people
are like the heavenly man.
Just as we are now
like the earthly man,
we will someday be
like the heavenly man.
What I am saying,
dear brothers and sisters,
is that our physical bodies
cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.
These dying bodies
cannot inherit what will forever last.
But let me reveal to you
a wonderful secret.
We will not all die,
but we will all be transformed!
It will happen in a moment,
in the blink of an eye,
when the last trumpet is blown.
For when the trumpet sounds,
those who have died
will be raised to live forever.
And we who are living
will also be transformed.
For our dying bodies
must be transformed
into bodies that will never die;
our mortal bodies
must be transformed
into immortal bodies.
Then, when our dying bodies
have been transformed
into bodies that will never die,
this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting? ”
For sin is the sting
that results in death,
and the law gives sin its power.
But thank God!
He gives us victory
over sin and death
through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:48-57‬ ‭

Sin -
it's the sting that results in death,
and hypocrism 
stems from satanic stronghold
of deceitfulness.

It's humans accusing humans of their flaws,
like the religious Pharisees
who went around
pointing their finger at others
for not obeying the law.
 
So , here is the third level of insight
to the hypocrisy plight...
me not paying attention
to the log in my own eye!
I mean, really,
isn’t this what hypocrisy means,
a pious posturing of our affected superiority!

Perhaps this is why
we are not called to judge,
but to love.

How can we see clearly
if we are constantly
looking at the falsity
in other human beings!

I’m my opinion,
this has to be
the underlying meaning
of pure deceit!

My favorite Bible story
is found in John 8,
when Jesus defends a woman
stuck in the stronghold of adultery -
who is viciously attacked
by the religious leaders and the Pharisees.

Once again, we see a crowd
gathering around Jesus, and
“As he was speaking,
the teachers of religious law
and the Pharisees
brought a woman
who had been caught
in the act of adultery.
They put her in front of the crowd
and said to Jesus,
“this woman was caught
in the act of adultery.
The law of Moses says to stone her.
What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him
into saying something
they could use against him,
but Jesus stooped down
and wrote in the dust
with his finger.
They kept demanding an answer,
so he stood up again and said,
“All right,
but let the one
who has never sinned
throw the first stone!”
Then he stooped down again
and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this,
they slipped away one by one,
beginning with the oldest,
until only Jesus was left
in the middle of the crowd
with the woman.
Then Jesus stood up again
and said to the woman,
“Where are your accusers?
Didn’t even one of them
condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said,
“Neither do I.
Go and sin no more.”
John 8:1-11

Imagine that!
A crowd of two -
where Jesus is the only judge
standing with you.

I wonder what would Jesus do?
Would He seek to condemn,
or would He speak in love,
to convict you?

This is probably
why men are NOT
to point and accuse,
because they don’t have
a righteous view.

I cannot wait to ask Him
what He wrote in the sand.
I can only imagine
it was an act of love,
written thoughtfully
for the One that He loves.

So once again,
third level vision
shows such a deeper level
of Holy Spirit wisdom.

Mark 7 says,
“Judge not,
that you be not judged.
For with the judgment
you pronounce
you will be judged,
and with the measure you use
it will be measured to you.
Why do you see the speck
that is in your brother's eye,
but do not notice the log
that is in your own eye?
Or how can you say
to your brother,
“Let me take the speck
out of your eye,”
when there is the log
in your own eye?
You hypocrite,
first take the log
out of your own eye,
and then you will see clearly
to take the speck
out of your brother's eye.”

So the question is,
How do you know
when your log is removed?
How do you know when you 
have been given
the authority to accuse?

The TRUTH is
found in Romans 2,
unless you are God
you do NOT have the right!

Even though
you are covered
by the blood of Christ, 
there is nothing about you
that is righteous!

Only God is Just!
And He has given
all authority
to His Son, Jesus.

He is the only One
who has the right to administer
God’s righteous judgement! 
And only Holy Spirit
has the ability to convict.

“You, therefore,
have no excuse,
you who pass judgment
on someone else,
for at whatever
point you judge another,
you are condemning yourself,
because you who pass judgment
do the same things.
Now we know
that God’s judgment
against those who do such things
is based on TRUTH.
So when you,
a mere human being,
pass judgment on them
and yet do the same things,
do you think you will escape
God’s judgment?
Or do you show contempt
for the riches of his kindness,
forbearance and patience,
not realizing that God’s kindness
is intended to lead you
to repentance?”
Romans 2:1-4

So, this is what I learned -
Hypocrisy is a sign
that Satan's venom is still inside,
and it's my own flesh
that needs to be redefined.

I pray that the Lord
will continue to give me
spiritual eyes to see,
the log that blocks the vision
of looking at me.

There is no way
I can obey the Law,
because in my humanity
I am not pure.

But through His blood,
I am justified;
and through Holy Spirit
I am sanctified.

This is how
I rely on getting by,
Holding onto
Spirit and Truth
that honors God.

Father, help me
not be a hypocrite.
Help me have a heart
that your light reflects.

Processing
my own hypocrisy
is so pivoting.
This is exactly
what I needed!
A true
Holy Spirit cleansing
from the yeast
injected by religious men and Pharisees -
the venomous sting of hypocrisy!

Help me to see the log
in my own eye,
so that I can show your love
to this hurting world.