In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
It seems we cannot go a week without another scandal in a prominent church. Last week, a prominent church was exposed as a cancerous mold-infested house. Perhaps the problem is in the word prominence. Many thousands trample each other to get to the famous church with the famous preacher but care little for the one these thousands in Luke 12 came to see, Jesus Christ. It is exposed in the hypocritical behavior of the leaders of these churches. They preach one thing when the spotlight is on but when it is dark, they sneak around like cockroaches at home in their environment.
Their hypocrisy is and needs to be exposed and proclaimed from the housetops. One can almost hear the disgust in the words of Jesus at these religious leaders. We need to feel the same way lest more shepherds fall to the wolves in 2024. Only by praying for our church leaders and holding them accountable will we avoid the leaven of the Pharisees. Only by the Bread of Life can we escape the spiritual malnutrition so rampant in our churches.
Dear Lord, thank you for the spiritual food that nourishes. May we not fester from inactivity or infection. May your name alone be glorified in our churches. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church