Nothing is as big an impediment to the preaching of the gospel as religious “know it alls” who self- righteously pronounce judgment upon others. And yet Jesus singles these people out for the harshest of criticism. He calls them hypocrites. They pretend to be one thing, but are really something else. They claim to be righteous and yet are filled with sin. They claim to rightly divide the word of God and yet completely mishandle it. Jesus grants them no quarter. He dismisses their rules and traditions outright.
The good news is that the blood and righteousness of Jesus is sufficient to save sinners on everybody’s list. Jesus saves smokers. He saves those who eat too much. He saves those who don’t, but are proud of it. He saves prostitutes and tax-collectors. He saves average Joes and housewives. He saves moguls and movie stars. He even saves hypocrites and self-righteous know it alls, if these people acknowledge their sins, repent of them, and trust in Jesus to save them from the wrath that is to come.
But Jesus does not save anyone who thinks that their righteousness is good enough to grant them entrance into heaven. He does not save people who think they are fine just as they are, or who see no need of a Savior. This, then, is why the scribes and Pharisees sought out Jesus. His very presence exposed them as the sinners they were. And that hated him for it. And he could say of them, “they worship me in vain.” But now as then, Jesus calls out to us, “repent of your sins and believe the good news,” which is that his righteousness is sufficient to save when yours is not. This is why Jesus came to Israel then, and why he comes to us now through word and sacrament now. Jesus loves repentant sinners, but he has no quarter for the self-righteous. Sadly, they worship him in vain.
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 