The sense of humor in Jesus enabled him to detect pretension, imposture,
hypocrisy, and expose them to the derision of mankind.
If we should find in Dickens or Thackeray such pictures as Jesus has given
of the Scribes and Pharisees, they would strike us at once as the very
quintessence of humor. "They go arrayed in long clothing, they love the
uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues." They are
always posturing to attract attention. "They love greetings in the
market-places, to be called of men Rabbi, Rabbi." In their way, they are
as much given to "deportment" as Mr. Turveydrop, when he says, "I suppose
I must now go and show myself about town; it will be expected of me." When
they pray, they do it standing in the synagogues or at the corners of the
streets that all may see how pious they are; when they perform their deeds
of righteousness, a trumpet is sounded before them, to make solemn
proclamation; as who should say, "Will the public please take notice; I am
about to drop a mite into this poor widow's hand." When they fast they put
on "a sad countenance and disfigure their faces" with fictitious woe and
weeping, "that they may appear unto men to fast." "See how I lay the dust
with my tears," says Launce. Everything they did was done for effect;
nothing came from the heart. Their religion was the veriest sham. They had
well-nigh reached the measure of South's ideal hypocrite, "who never opens
his mouth in earnest, but when he eats or breathes." Well might Jesus say,
"The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat; _all things, therefore,
whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do, but do ye not
according to their works; for they say and do not_." Does not this remind
us of Pecksniff, "who was a most exemplary man, fuller of virtuous
precepts than a copy-book; but some people likened him to a direction-post
which is always telling the way to a place, and never goes there."