Often under the guise of success, social influence, or moral superiority, pride and hypocrisy have crept into the minds and hearts of many. They foster a culture where outward appearances and public acclaim often matter more than inner values or genuine humility. The drive for success can become a breeding ground for pride as individuals elevate their status through material wealth, titles, or positions of power while losing sight of the moral integrity that once guided them. For instance, some executives tout their company’s philanthropic efforts or social responsibility initiatives yet make decisions that exploit employees or damage the environment behind closed doors.
Social influence, particularly in social media, similarly feeds pride and hypocrisy; influencers may promote an image of a perfect lifestyle while struggling privately or engaging in practices that contrast sharply with the ideals they champion. Meanwhile, pursuing moral superiority can lead individuals to judge others harshly, touting values like tolerance and compassion in public while quietly harboring prejudice or looking down upon those they deem less enlightened.
In each case, pride and hypocrisy infect the mind and heart, substituting genuine growth and integrity with an insatiable need for validation and admiration from others. It has become blatant how pride has morphed into a societal standard where people unquestioningly measure their worth by external achievements, wealth, or social media status. Once personal self-satisfaction in one’s efforts has been achieved, pride blinds individuals to their faults, reinforcing a need to project perfection.
Hypocrisy is a mask—a behavior or attitude rooted in contradiction. Those who wear this mask are identified by their tendency to adopt virtuous fronts while their actions contradict the values they profess to uphold. These individuals thrive on appearances, seeking admiration or moral superiority while disregarding the integrity their claimed virtues demand. Recent memory provides no shortage of examples: high-profile leaders and public figures advocate for environmental responsibility while flying private jets, and individuals preach the importance of kindness and empathy online yet engage in harmful, anonymous behavior on social platforms. These manifestations of pride and hypocrisy reveal a culture that celebrates surface-level virtue, often neglecting the genuine humility and integrity that foster authentic moral growth.
Our faith journey is often marred by the subtle, creeping sins of pride and hypocrisy—two vices that, while rarely as visible as others, can have the most corrosive effect on our spiritual lives. These insidious traits lure us into believing in our own personal righteousness, whispering that we stand high above others in virtue, as if in an ivory tower. From this height, the hypocrite sees those below as “the unworthy” or “the unenlightened,” blind to the distance they’ve created—a vast chasm isolates them in hollow superiority, cutting them off from genuine connection and grace. As the hypocrites give in to this deception, they construct a mask—an outer display of devoutness that conceals their turmoil. In building this mask, they also make a “tomb” around their hearts, shielding them from humility and blocking them from receiving our Lord and Creator’s grace.
This spiritual barrier not only distances us from others but also traps us in a cycle of pride, preventing genuine connection with the divine. Jesus repeatedly addressed these hidden sins, especially in His interactions with the Pharisees, whose external piety masked an interior life of spiritual decay. Our Lord and Saviour's teachings remind us that the true battleground of faith is the heart, not the outward actions that may earn us human approval.
In one of His most direct rebukes, in Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus denounces the Pharisees, saying, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” Here, Jesus bears the reality that the Pharisees’ outward acts of righteousness meant little when the inner life was corrupt. For them, spiritual observance had become a theater, an act crafted for admiration rather than a humble devotion to Our Lord. And while we may not carry titles like theirs, this same temptation is present in modern lives. Church attendance, acts of charity, and pious words are meaningless without the humble and loving spirit that Jesus calls us to foster.
At the core of pride is blindness—a refusal to see our flaws or recognize our dependence on Our Lord and Creator’s mercy. Pride plants the seeds of countless other sins as it closes our eyes to the humility that Jesus taught. A person suffering from pride often fails to see their faults, so convinced are they of their virtue. Pride is the blindness Jesus warned against in the Pharisees, who could only see their devotion and not their need for Our Lord’s mercy.
If not careful, even the best of us, those who serve with dedication, can quickly become lost in the adoration from others, convinced of their exceptional devotion to their cause and seeing themselves as more deserving of admiration. A self-centered desire for recognition has replaced what was once a genuine virtue. What began as faith and purpose has now devolved into mere theater and performance.
In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14), Jesus starkly contrasts two men who come to the temple to pray. The Pharisee prays with arrogance, declaring his superiority over others, listing his good deeds and religious observances as though they entitled him to Our Lord’s favor. In contrast, the tax collector, despised in society, prays only for mercy, acknowledging his sins and humbling himself before the Lord. Jesus teaches that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, leaves justified. “For everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The Pharisee’s pride led him to believe he was righteous, while the tax collector’s humility opened the way to The Lord’s grace.
These two vices are intertwined, as pride often gives rise to hypocrisy; the need to maintain an image of righteousness conceals the underlying flaws in our character. Hypocrisy, a deceptive cloak, arises when we seek the approval of others through outward actions while neglecting the inner transformation that Our Lord calls us to undergo. As this cloak of pretense thickens, it becomes harder to shed; we get lost in maintaining the lie, layering on false virtue to mask the truth within. With each act of deception, the facade grows, demanding more effort to uphold until we are ensnared in the very image we created. Far from the authenticity and grace we once sought, reputation precedes genuine faith.
In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus instructs His followers to practice their faith without regard for human approval, saying,
“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”
(Matthew 6:1-4)
Here, Jesus challenges His followers to act from pure motives, seeking not human admiration but The Lord’s approval. When we seek only outward praise, we serve not The Lord but our vanity. This hypocrisy is doubly dangerous, for it deceives others and ourselves, leading us to believe in our façade of righteousness while our inner lives remain unchanged.
We ought to heed the call to a life of humility and authenticity. Jesus’ teachings push us to confront the hidden sins within our hearts. Pride closes our eyes to our need for The Lord’s grace, while hypocrisy enables us to hide behind acts of piety. Yet, true faith does not rest on outward displays but on a heart transformed by Our Lord's love and mercy. In Proverbs 16:18, we read, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Let this verse warn us all: the path of pride and hypocrisy leads to arrogance and spiritual ruin. But through humility, repentance, and a sincere desire for transformation, we can approach The Lord with an open heart, ready for renewal.
We beg you to seek to live not for the approval of others but for The Lord, who sees beyond the masks we wear. True righteousness is found in humble acts, unseen by others but treasured by Our Lord. May we strive to embody the spirit of the tax collector, humbly seeking mercy, rather than the Pharisee, standing in pride. In our pursuit of Our Lord, may we remember that He values a heart-seeking transformation far above any outward appearance. By casting aside pride and embracing humility, we can walk closer to The Lord, assured that His grace is more significant than any façade we might construct.
Share the Blessing
Thank you for spending time with us in reflection today. By recognizing Our Lord's hand in all things, both the blessings and the challenges, we can grow in faith and live with a heart full of thankfulness. If this devotional has blessed you, we encourage you to share it with others needing rest and peace. Let's continue to support one another in our pursuit of spiritual renewal by spreading the message of His peace.
We also welcome your thoughts and prayer requests as we continue to build a community centered around faith, love, and purpose. To receive more monthly devotionals like this, subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected. To support our ministry, consider contributing to the Sanctum of the Redeemer to continue bringing spiritual nourishment to our community.
Together, let us journey toward deeper reflection and rest in Our Lord. May you walk in wisdom and light, always guided by His truth. In Jesus' name, Our Lord and Saviour.
