Jesus had harsh words for people who liked to appear spiritual and religious. He sometimes referred to the Pharisees and scribes as hypocrites, people acting religious so they would win applause from others.
Jesus saw that it was possible to be good on the outside but be unmerciful and spiteful on the inside. Jesus was in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets, who condemned people who preferred religious ritual to genuine love for God and man.
The Bible makes it clear that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
The word comes from the Greek hypokrinomai, meaning “acting a part in a play.”
