The word hypocrite is an interesting word. If you trace its use in the Bible you find it appears 31 times; 11 times in the Old Testament, and 20 times in the New Testament. If you search deeper in the New Testament you discover that the word “hypocrite” only appears in the four Gospels, and 15 of those times are in the book of Matthew. Looking closer you see that the word hypocrite appears seven times in just one chapter: Matthew chapter 23. But the most interesting thing about the word hypocrite is that the only person in the New Testament who ever used the word was Jesus Christ.
There is something very unique about the Lord Jesus, something about His character that tends to be overlooked by many people. The Lord Jesus is acutely aware of, and very much opposed to, unreality. He is especially attuned to any pretentiousness or acting. Once when He was hungry, He saw a fig tree off in the distance that had leaves on it. So He walked over to the tree and looked for figs, but there were no figs, so He cursed that fig tree: “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And that tree died.
I always felt sorry for the poor fig tree; especially when the Bible says that it was not the season for figs. It sounds unreasonable, doesn’t it? Why would Jesus expect to find fruit on the fig tree when it wasn’t even the season for figs?
It wasn’t until many years later when I came across a little book on Bible manners and customs that I understood why Jesus cursed the fig tree. In that part of the world, and with that kind of fig tree, the leaves and the fruit appear at the same time. So here was this fig tree full of leaves. Possibly the only fig tree that had leaves. That is why Jesus picked that one to go looking for fruit. Its leaves were announcing: “Hey look at me! I’ve got leaves, even out of season!” So Jesus says, “It isn’t the season for figs, but I see your leaves, so I’m expecting fruit and will come and check you out.” That was bad news for the fig tree, because pretentiousness gets a very strong response from the Lord Jesus. He would not just let it pass. That tree was a hypocritical fig tree; lots of leaves, an outward show, but it was all pretense. It was a charade. It provided hungry people with false hope! Do you see why He cursed it? That is the kind of thing that Jesus will not tolerate.
The tragedy of this story is what the unfruitful fig tree represents. If you study the parables of Jesus, then you know that the unfruitful fig tree represents Israel – particularly Jerusalem – supposedly the “city of the great King,” waving palm branches and crying out “Hosanna!” but the whole thing is a farce. Those same people shouting, “Hosanna!” would be shouting, “Crucify Him!” just a few days later. There were lots of leaves: the Temple, the priesthood, the teachers of the Law, the Torah; but no fruit. Jesus said “The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits” (Mt. 21:43).
If you spend time living with someone or working with someone, you begin to take on some of their attributes and mannerisms. Their values tend to rub off on you. And when you live and work with the King of Kings, when you walk with Him day in and day out, when you spend time reading His words and doing what He wants you to, you start to develop a deep history with God. You begin to get a sense of how He sees things, and how He feels about things. You begin to get beyond the words of the Bible and touch something of the Spirit behind what is said. That means Christ is being fully formed in you. That is a sign of spiritual maturity. “Grow in the grace, and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18).
If you are growing in grace, and getting to really know the Lord and His heart, then when you see an unfruitful fig tree with leaves on it, you don’t just shrug your shoulders. You find yourself doing the same thing Jesus did: “Ah, look; here is a fig tree with leaves. I’m going to check it out and see if it has any figs on it.” You begin to catch yourself responding to things the same way Jesus responded to them. And you realize that you are being stirred from within, and this stirring has nothing to do with you or how you feel. It has to do with the Spirit of Jesus expressing something of His nature, heart and character through you.
You think, “How wonderful; Jesus expressing Himself through me! That’s what I want.” Really? Is that what you really want? Then are you prepared to be grieved by the things that grieve Him? He is “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Is. 53:3). Are you ready to weep over the things He weeps over? Jesus wept. He was angered at the hardness of their hearts. Are you willing to speak up and speak out about the same things He does?
I thank our heavenly Father for The School Of Christ, for His Faithfulness and your faithfulness to all that He has to fulfill in and through you
I have very much enjoyed this posting. The comments at the end become part of the posting and serve as needed feedback for me anyway. I very much have a concern for my spiritual condition and a desire to have fruit in and out of season. What I find interesting is that I find nothing in this post that should be used as yet another excuse to not “Judge” other fellow Christians. If anything it explains why so much of the conversations with “fellow Christians” ends up looking like a leafed up fig tree out of season. I for the most part check my reaction so as not to cause a disturbance in the force, but knowing that my reactions could very well be because I am actually becoming more Christ centered is a comfort to me. One of the comments I hear a lot is that “we are only human”. My response has become “true, but when are the human Christians, going to begin living some of our Spiritual convictions?”
Thank you for your insight into the fig tree parable. I specifically asked the Lord a few months ago for clarity on this, and through you, He has answered me – bless His Holy name!
Renee
excellent article, & yes I do experience that grief more & more as we get closer & closer to the end. With hypocrites, yes, very much so, but also with people who ‘call’ themselves Christians yet live like pagans. (degenerate pagans at that,) who wear skulls & demons on their clothing (honoring satan) using filthy language, living very immoral lives, & it’s no small number of “Christians” doing this. Is it any wonder the secular world is growing to despise us? I know that when I chastize a so called Christian for trampling the name of Christ, I have to be ready to be hated on & hear things like, “pull the mote out of thine own eye” (etc.) but I feel like remaining silent is to condone it & I will not keep silent while I’m watching a “Christian” trample the name of Jesus in the mud. It’s all of our responsibilities to stand up for true Christianity in a kind, loving, yet firm manner.
this is…………deeeeep…….Lord…..Lord….purge me, cleanse me, mould me, shape me….help me to go through the fire, the waters yea the cross with You…..
thanks Bro. Chip. Blessed week!!!!
Very good!
I especially like the statement, “But the most interesting thing about the word hypocrite is that the only person in the New Testament who ever used the word was Jesus Christ.”
The most important part of the message is for us to make sure that there is no pretense in our own lives, lest we go around presuming to know if any particular tree is (truly) fruitful or not. We are to judge prophets and their messages by their fruit, but it is not good to “finally” judge anything before the appointed time… many of us have been fruitless or bearing bad fruit at any given time of our walks, and good fruit at others.
I love also that when it comes to “final” judgement…. “nobody in heaven, on the earth, or under the earth was found worthy… except the Lamb. Only He can pronouce “hypocrite” with final authority.
Thanks for sharing!
Bruce
yes I posted about this on facebook the other day–GOD is the only genuine Christian in the universe–if you claim to be a Christian then we should see the life of Christ coming out of you–otherwise if not then you are just a professor and not a possesor