Introduction
Explore how we do provoke Jesus through religious actions that lack mercy and compassion in our daily lives. We do provoke Jesus when we act religiously but neglect mercy, compassion, and justice. The words of Christ in Matthew 23 still confront modern believers with piercing truth: faith without mercy is hypocrisy.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”
— Matthew 23:23–24 (ESV)
Main Message
One can easily see the modern picture here and how we provoke Jesus.
Yes sir, I go to church every Sunday!
Indeed, I put my check in the offering plate.
Absolutely, I will go on a mission trip to a big city.
But what did you do about the kids at school without good clothes to wear? What did you do for the homeless in your community?
Most of us do fairly well until it’s time to get our hands dirty! I know—I am one of them.
My wife Kaye, once brought home a needy 10-year-old girl for me to give a haircut. I reluctantly agreed and asked Kaye to wash her hair first. When I finished cutting, Kaye lifted the girl to the mirror and said, “You are beautiful.” God put a smile on that little girl’s face I will never forget. I heard God’s quiet whisper: “Those who have done it unto the least of these have done it unto Me.”
Then God spoke to me too: “You are a hypocrite—you do the clean things but avoid mercy when it gets messy.”
That day, I learned a lesson I’ll never forget.
Editor’s note: I know quite a few good “clean hands” Christians. I go to church with them!
Good morning, as you eliminate hypocrisy from your life.
Morning Prayer
Heavenly Father, cleanse my heart of hypocrisy. Teach me to serve with mercy, not pride. Let me love others with Your compassion, especially when it’s inconvenient. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Hymn
Susan Boyle – Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
Life Application
Jesus calls us to live mercy, not just preach it. The challenge is to embody compassion daily — to love beyond comfort and convenience. As James 2:17 reminds us, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Billy Graham once said, “A real Christian is a person who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip.” Our faith should speak louder through kindness than through words.
- 🙏 Reflect on one “dirty” task of mercy you’ve avoided—decide to act this week.
- 💬 Encourage someone struggling with guilt or shame by speaking words of hope.
- 🧺 Serve practically—help a neighbor, feed someone, or volunteer locally.
- 📖 Meditate on Matthew 23:23–24 and ask God to reveal any hypocrisy in your heart.
Evening Prayer
Lord, thank You for showing me what matters most—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Help me to reflect Your love tomorrow in both word and deed. Amen.
Gospel praise
Charlie Pride – Lord, Build Me a Cabin in Glory
Acknowledgments
We thank:
- Pixabay for free, high-quality artwork.
- AZ Quotes for quotations when appropriate.
- YouTube Gospel Music for beautiful worship music.
We recommend GotQuestions.org for further Bible study.
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