What Jesus Did! 'You Hypocrites!' — Matthew 15:7-9

Sunday, July 20, 2025

[To the Pharisees and teachers of religious law, Jesus said:] "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'"
— Matthew 15:7-9 NLT

Key Thought

Jesus was sometimes not very subtle. His lack of diplomacy with hypocrisy was founded in the heart of God. In fact, Jesus is very hard on those who pretend to make God first in their lives and then do what they want. He even uses the "h" word (hypocrite) when it is needed!

God cannot stand it when we play like we're devoted to his will and then do what we like, want, or feel more comfortable doing. Only his will is binding. Only his will matters. Our preferences are simply that - our own preferences. They are generally neutral, unless we start replacing God's will with our preferences - or prejudices, traditions, opinions, ... It's easy to honor God with words, but he wants obedience so our character will be conformed to his own. To do less is to do wrong.

Today's Prayer

Holy God, please accept my worship, praise, and thanksgiving from a genuine heart seeking to please you. Please forgive me for my sins and restore in me a holy passion to pursue you, your will, and your character with all of my heart, soul, and might. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

2 Related Resources by Heartlight

The White Rose
Article by Bill Sherrill
Why the different color roses? White and red roses mean something special on Mothers' Day.
Respect Your Mother!
Article by Phil Ware
How can we preserve the faith of future generations? Phil Ware goes over the final principle of the seven principles taught to him by his dad, called Daddy Al, and he shares them with his children to leave a lasting legacy of faith.

Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 15:7-9 NLT — "You hypocrites!

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, July 20, 2025

Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Pamela Reeve:
"Faith is realizing that I am useful to God not in spite of my scars but because of them."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Good Spouses' (Ep. 5:25-33)
"Dear Father, Help me to be the good husband that you want me to be. Help me to love my wife even as Christ loves his church, being willing to give..."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Waiting for His Day in Court' (Acts 23:35)
"[Paul had arrived in Caesarea to appear before the Governor, Felix, who told him:] "I will hear your case myself when your accusers arrive," the..."
A Year with Jesus
A devotional to help reclaim Jesus as the daily Lord of our lives.
'Be Loyal'
"Dear Beloved, Today and the next three days, I want to share with you one key concept from each of the four chapters in your book of 2 Timothy...."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!