Beware of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed. We have come to associate the term
hypocrisy with the religious party of the Pharisees. This is majorly because of the above statement by Jesus which we hear in today’s Gospel passage. Jesus had come to observe that the Pharisees were living a different kind of life from that which they were expected to live (or that which they projected forth) and he was not shy to let them know about it. As a matter of fact, his altercation with them often arose from Jesus’ observation that they were not being as authentic as they purported to be. As religious leaders, the Pharisees were expected to be ready to help the people understand what the law required of them without making it a burden for them. As those who had been appointed teachers of the people, it was expected that the Pharisees would teach the people to love the law by putting the law at the service of the people and not the other way round. But they failed in doing this because of their lack of humility.
A life of hypocrisy is short-lived because it is burdensome. Trying to live a life that is not authentic (natural) to an individual ends up fighting the very individual who is trying to live it. This was the major reason why the Pharisees rubbed shoulders with Jesus. Because of their double-standards, they were not ready to accept correction from Jesus or from anybody else. Anybody who criticized them was seen by them as a threat and this led to an acrimonious relationship with such individuals. Jesus did not want his disciples to end up like the Pharisees. He did not want them to bite more than they could chew, so to speak. Jesus did not want his disciples to set for themselves a lifestyle that would make it impossible for them to live the Gospel values. He did not want his disciples to espouse a lifestyle that would make them forget who they are: graced creatures of God who are still in need of salvation.