Luke 12:1-3

Beware of hypocrisy in your life. God sees. Let your actions show your beliefs. 

God give us wisdom and discernment in Holy Spirit.

Hypocrisy is the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.

There is a connection between our mouths and our hearts, and we see this throughout the Bible. Romans 10:10 says, "For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." In Psalm 19:14, David prays, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight..." In Matthew 12:34, Jesus says, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (all emphases added).

Our heart/mouth connection is vital because our words are indicators of what our hearts believe about God. The Pharisees' negativity was a result of their hearts' rejection of the Spirit of God (Matthew 12:32). 

Our God is good and sovereign. He is powerful and able. He is kind and works all things for our good and His glory. He cares and He loves us. And when we truly believe these things in our hearts, our words will follow. First5 

God of all time,
help us enter the New Year quietly,
thoughtful of who we are
to ourselves and to others,
mindful that our steps make an impact
and our words carry power.
May we walk gently.
May we speak
only after we have listened well.

Vinita Hampton Wright

Luke 12:1-3

12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. The New King James Version

Leaven here represents the presence of corruption. Unleavened bread is what the Jews ate at Passover. The corruption in view here is hypocrisy. Practicing hypocrisy is senseless because eventually all deeds—both good and evil—will be exposed. All secrets will be revealed by God. The NKJV Study Bible

The Greek word used here refers to fermented dough that was mixed in with new dough and used as a rising agent. The small amount used in baking would permeate the entire batch of new dough. Leaven serves as an apt metaphor to describe the widespread effects of the Pharisees’ hypocritical teachings and actions. Faithlife Study Bible

Matthew 10:26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Matthew 23:28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light