In Dickens’ “Dombey and Son,” Mr. Dombey is an arrogant, unyielding man. But he is the same prideful man in private as he is in public. He treats those considered beneath him as if they were, well, beneath him. No one even considered accusing him of being duplicitous. Horrible. Yes. But not a hypocrite. Mr. Carker, however, who was Dombey’s manager, seemed to be a Dombey sycophant. Publicly, he fawned all over Mr. Dombey, which fed Dombey’s own view of his proper importance. But, in reality, Mr. Carker hated Paul Dombey. In the end, all of Mr. Carker’s sneaky and secret scheming came out into the open when he ran off with Mr. Dombey’s wife and left his business in disrepair. His true character came crashing into the light with disastrous results.
Jesus had already dealt with the underlying, unseen dangers of the Scribes/Pharisees. They were like unmarked graves which make everyone who come into contact with them unclean. But there is this problem. In the meantime, many people are enamored with their outward piety. They seem so righteous; so knowledgeable about the things of God; so much holier than the average Joe. In Luke 12:1-3 Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, which, as the scribes have already pointed out, includes them.
The passage begins with “in which.” This most likely refers to the previous circumstances – the woes uttered against the Pharisees, which led to them seeking for ways to trap Jesus. The tension was growing and the crowds were crowding. Myriads of crowds gather together to the point that they are stepping all over each other. There is something about a good fight, isn’t there? And Jesus is taking on the elite: the separate from everyone else, holier than thou, Pharisees. Who will win? There may be some in the crowd who secretly hope Jesus will give the Pharisees a haymaker to the face. The text states that he spoke to his disciples “first.” This probably means “primarily.” The crowd could hear, but he was most concerned about his disciples understanding this point.
He begins with a warning, “Beware!” The word means “hold before; pay attention to.” Jesus wants them to pay attention to the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Leaven was used as a negative, most likely due to its ability to spread. The people would keep some fermented dough – a rising agent. And when they mixed a little in with fresh dough, the leaven would spread throughout the whole amount and make it rise. Not only did it spread easily, it was fermented and if kept too long it became spoiled. Maybe both of these things lent to its use for negative influences. And what is this negative thing that they must be wary of? Hypocrisy refers to putting on an act. It is not about sinning. Everyone sins. If a follower of God sins, that does not make him or her a hypocrite. If they claim to be pious and are the opposite, well then, we have ourselves a hypocrite; an actor; an outside washed but inside dirty cup.
What follows is an assurance and a warning. You may be able to cover up and hide your true nature; you may receive accolades from fellow humans. But nothing is hidden from God. Every hidden heart will be laid open before the Father. So, there will come a time when all actors will be seen for what they truly are; their hearts will be brought out into the light. The speaking into the ear will be proclaimed on the roof tops as if a herald were shouting it out for the whole town to hear. The dark recesses of your heart, where you whisper truths you think only you can hear, is clearly visible to God, and he will publish it to all.
There is an important thing to keep in mind here. Jesus does not say that it is our job to reveal; to proclaim on the roof tops. This is about what God will do. Pay attention to the hypocrisy. Don’t be fooled. Don’t sit in the audience dumbly clapping for the excellent performance. But don’t fret. God know better than you what is going on. He sees the arrogance. He sees the secret longings for self all dressed up to look like piety. Don’t allow the fermented lump to infect you. Don’t become an actor yourself. You proclaim the truth of God to the glory of the Father with love.
There is a dangerous result of hypocrisy. It breads more hypocrisy. It may seem as if the pretentious religious elite get all the applause. And maybe they do. It may be tempting to serve for the clap. Don’t! God knows the heart. Be clean on the inside. Be the same person in the secret places of your heart and house that you are when a crowd has gathered. God sees it all and one day, the who you are in darkness will be brought out into the light. If you are genuinely a disciple, you have nothing to worry about.