Help for Hypocrisy

Oh my! What do we do with the reading today Luke 11:37-12:3 ? Jesus goes to have lunch with some of the "church" leaders, gets comfortable, notices a critical spirit, and starts "insulting" them all. This goes on for 14 verses!  And when Jesus left, the leaders were totally hostile and intent on tripping him up. This surely does not seem like the way to win friends.

When you take another look, you can see that these Pharisees had been listening to Jesus (and even some to John) and had not evidently been convicted to turn from their sin. So Jesus puts it to them straight. The big lesson to the disciples is, "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." (Not having your teaching and words line up with the way you are living.)

Oh this is such a crucial word to us. We all are teaching and leading as younger ones and others are watching. I like this reminder from John Owens.
"If a man teach uprightly and walk crookedly, more will fall down in the night of his life than he built in the day of his doctrine."

Oh Lord, help us to be transparent, and free from the deceitfulness of appearances. Make us Your clear pure light.