The works of the Pharisees were done in the name of piety and holiness, but those works were all a shameless pretense. Those hypocrites were total strangers to true humility and vital godliness. They loved positions of prominence and found all they desired in the mere externals of religion. Being called by high-sounding titles was extremely appealing to them. The applause and approval of men swelled them with even greater pride and reinforced their own high opinion of themselves. They prayed in public places, not out of any inward devotion to God nor with any felt sense of need, but merely to impress those that saw and heard them. 

    Among their many hypocritical proceedings was their habit of "making long prayers" for show, and for a pretense of close communion with God (See Mark 12:40 and Luke 10:47). Because of this, and because our Lord has revealed to us that people are not heard as a result of their "much speaking" (See Matt. 6:7), I have always kept my prayers relatively short, particularly when called on to offer public prayer. The Lord has taught us not to imitate those who make long and wordy prayers, and He gives the following as the reason---"For your Father knoweth what ye have need of, before ye ask him." Sometimes I hear men pray as though they are trying to acquaint the Lord with various circumstances. This we cannot do, for He knows all things (See John 21:17)! 

    It has often amazed me that the Pharisees did not seem to realize that God could easily see through their pretended piety. Perhaps it was a case that they had deceived themselves into thinking that they were actually as good as they thought they were. Or perhaps they simply did not believe in God's omniscience and thought He could not see into their hearts. 

    What could be more vain than doing things merely to be seen of men? What an empty, meaningless and temporary reward that is! Men never appear more foolish and childish than when they seek such worthless and vaporous recognition, particularly in view of the fact that their hypocrisy is as obvious to God as the noonday sun is to us. 

    If we seek to please men we are not the servants of Christ (See Gal. 1:10). If God approves of us, what does it matter if the whole world condemns us? And if he does not approve of us, what does it matter if the whole world applauds us?