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Matthew 23:1-4
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 'The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. (NIVUK)

In many cultures it is considered rude to say anything which other people might not agree with. It is important for communities to exercise social tolerance in order to bond together. However, when lies, error or falsehood of any kind is tolerated, the society bonds are weakened and the society will fragment. Jesus spoke directly about this problem to the crowds and His disciples. It was an essential part of His teaching to His trainee apostles who would, in the future, have to deal with false prophets trying to pull the church away from the truth of the gospel.
 
The tone of this whole chapter is certainly not 'politically correct'. It is a direct exposure of the hypocritical teachings and actions of the religious leaders - particularly the Pharisees who claimed to be the experts in interpreting God's Word. Early in His ministry, Jesus spoke against this religious hypocrisy in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:1-18). In this chapter, shortly before His crucifixion, He names the Pharisees and uncovers their hypocrisy in great detail, warning the crowds and His disciples not to behave like them.
 
All religious hypocrisy will tie heavy burdens to people's backs without providing any help to ease the load. Those people live in fear of God's wrath if they fail to keep the laws, but know they can never completely succeed. It is an abusive controlling environment which God never authorised. The church can only operate properly when it receives and gives love, and continues to preach strongly against what is false (even if religious people think it is true).
 
It is easy to see the faults in others. That is why we need God's Word as a mirror so that we may see what we are like, and then be obedient to God's "perfect law that gives freedom" (James 1:22-25). Wherever we have spiritual responsibility (over our own lives, those in our family, community and church) we must not only teach and train what is right, but also rebuke and correct what is wrong (2 Timothy 3:16). Failure to identify error will never enable the truth to be established. Holding truth and error together is like having a good heart but bad lungs ... eventually the body dies. Of course, it is a great challenge because nobody enjoys a rebuke. But if children need it, so does the Church.

Prayer 
My Lord and Master. Thank You that You are the only truth and there is no darkness in You at all. Forgive me for those times when I have compromised by accepting error along with truth. I know that is wrong. And forgive me when I have tolerated falsehood where I have had the spiritual responsibility to only uphold the truth. Please teach me the difference between truth and error in my own life, and give me a desire for truth to liberate the lives of those for whom I have spiritual responsibility. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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© Dr Paul Adams