Religion of the Real Vs. Faith of the Frauds

In his Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) Jesus describes “the Religion of the Real.”  This is the genuine and authentic spirituality pursued by true followers of God.  The Religion of the Real is one that leads others who see it to praise God.  It functions as salt and light in the world.

But in his Sermon of Woes (Matt. 23-25) Jesus describes the “Faith of the Frauds.”  This is a phony and forged spirituality pursued by superficial followers of God.  The faith of the Frauds leads those who witness it to question God.  It functions as decay and darkness in the world.

These two sermons from Jesus stand at opposite ends of a continuum:

• The Religion of the Real is the topic of Jesus’ first speech in Matthew.  The Faith of the Frauds is the topic of Jesus’ final speech in Matthew.
• Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount starts with statements of approval—how God blesses those who practice this real religion.  Jesus’ Sermon of Woes starts with statements of disapproval—how God curses those who practice this fraudulent faith.    The seven “woes” in Matt. 23 are the antithesis of the 8 “blessed are” in Matt. 5.

There could be numerous reasons for Jesus’ woeful condemnation of the fraudulent followers of God.  Jesus could speak volumes about how their hypocrisy is hurting themselves, how it leads to a lack of self-fulfillment.  Jesus could also preach endlessly about the way in which their pretense is offending God.  God is wounded and weary from their superficiality.

But one of the primary reasons Jesus slams this superficial way of life is due to the negative impact the Faith of the Frauds has on the world.  For example, Jesus reports that the insincerity and duplicity of the scribes and Pharisees is slamming the door of the kingdom of God in the faces of people trying to get in and leading people straight to hell (Matt. 23:13-15).  In Matt. 5, Jesus commends the Religion of the Real because of its positive impact on the world.  Here, Jesus condemns the Faith of the Frauds because of its negative impact on the world.  The world is actually worse off because of the presence of hypocritical religious people.

Contemporary commentators agree.  Karl Rahner writes, “The number one cause of atheism is Christians.  Those who proclaim God with their mouths and deny Him with their lifestyles is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable.”[i] Rahner is describing the Faith of the Frauds: Christians who proclaim God with their mouths and deny Him with their lifestyles.  And he finds that this faith does exactly what Jesus predicted. It slams shut the door to the kingdom.  It causes an unbelieving world to continue disbelieving.

Yet the authentic spirituality Jesus outlines in his Sermon on the Mount is just the opposite.  It betters the world.  It flavors and enlightens the world.  And for this reason, Jesus commends it.

Spiritual formation is not embraced solely for our own sake or for God’s sake.  It is also embraced because of its sweeping influence on the world around us.

In February the Washington Times ran a story on Christianity in China.[ii] One piece of the article read this way: “Beijing wants to limit the exposure of a religion based on charity, self-sacrifice and love of neighbor. Christians were barred from participating in relief efforts after the April 2010 earthquake in northwest China because the government feared they would set too good an example and attract converts.” What Beijing feared might happen is what Jesus guarantees will happen.  It’s why Jesus blesses the religion of the Real.  People who live it will set such a good example that they will attract converts.  It makes the world a better place.

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[i] Karl Rahner, quoted in the Wittenburg Door (June/July l988) and in Christianity Today, (vol. 34, no. 8).

[ii] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/feb/9/crucifying-chinas-christians/.