Can't Stand Religious Hypocrites? Jesus Can't Either!

Read Matthew 23:1-36

      “There are far too many religious hypocrites for me to ever become a Christian!”  That objection against Christianity, in its myriad variations, is a very common one. 

      It is illogical.  Would you swear off eating out because some restaurants have bad service and sub-par food?  Do you forsake the use of money because you know for a fact that there are counterfeit bills out there? 

      And yet, it is a powerful objection, the stated justification for keeping many people from believing in Jesus.  Please don’t apologize for hypocrisy by saying that the devil works harder on Christians.  Better to appeal to Matthew 23, where Jesus is bound to have said harsher things about religious hypocrites than today’s critics.  Better to ask, “Why would you let something you and Jesus agree upon be the thing that keeps you from believing in Jesus?”  Now that would be a shame.