Hypocrisy and our determination to reject authority

We need to recognize that our hearts are sinful, and examine whether we are standing for a higher principle or for our own personal interests.

We hate authority today. Rebellion against rightful authority is bound up in the human heart. One of the most common arguments for rejecting authority is when the person in authority refuses to abide by the rules and standards he expects of others. We have all seen stories of moralizing public figures caught in adultery, for example. But the way our Lord addressed hypocrisy is instructive in how we should think about hypocrisy and our response to hypocritical leadership. In Matthew 23, before Jesus sternly rebukes the Scribes and Pharisees, He tells the people to do as the Pharisees command.

This illustrates two principles. First is the general respect for the religious and civil authorities that God has placed over us, something the Apostle Paul opens up in Romans 13. The second is that even when civil and/or religious leaders fail to keep moral standards, we should nonetheless abide by those standards. The commands of Scripture do not depend on whether this or that leader is a failure in his personal life. Laws meant to preserve public order, safeguard public morality, protect the innocent or preserve the rights, health and safety of others are good laws no matter how poorly our leaders keep those laws.

Are there cases where hypocrisy damages an authority figure's ability to lead? Sure, especially when new rules are put into place that are controversial. We saw this during the COVID-19 pandemic, when politicians who implemented strict quarantine orders were caught violating those orders. But it was not the hypocrisy itself that was the reason people objected to quarantine orders. It was an added layer to existing arguments about the efficacy of pandemic mitigation policy.

But we need to be careful not to be overly reliant on charges of hypocrisy, especially if our argument is not for changing the law, but for the right to disobey the law. We need to recognize that our hearts are sinful, and examine whether we are standing for a higher principle or for our own personal interests. Yes, there are times when we need to obey God rather than man, and there are times when we should resist unconstitutional orders. But we should also remember that honoring earthly authority is something God tells us to do in 1 Peter 2:13-17, Romans 13 and Matthew 23:2-3.