The Anti-Cross Life vs. Crucififormity: Lessons from Matthew 23
Well, good morning, everybody! Today we’re diving into Matthew 23, a chapter that’s as challenging as it is important. Before we jump in, a couple of quick announcements: mark your calendars for Prayer Night on March 29th—it’s a time well spent. And a huge shout-out to Mr. Michael Kohler and the Boots in the Ground Uganda team. Michael sent word that you all exceeded his fundraising goals—what a testament to your generosity and partnership in the gospel!
Let’s open with a prayer: Jesus, we thank You for Your Word. Prepare our hearts today. Help us to see what You want us to see and to become the people You want us to be. Amen.
A Story About Treadmills
Imagine a man who buys a beautiful treadmill, pays top dollar, has it delivered, sets it in a prominent spot in his living room, leaves the blinds open so the neighbors can see it, and even posts about it online. He buys the perfect shoes, a moisture-wicking shirt, and a GPS-enabled fitness watch. Everything about this treadmill screams “serious fitness enthusiast.”
But there’s a problem: he never uses it. Day after day, he steps around it, letting dust accumulate. Six months later, he lectures a friend about taking health seriously—all while his own life remains unchanged.
This treadmill is a picture of what Matthew 23 exposes: people who display religion on the outside but refuse to take up the cross on the inside. They look spiritual, but they haven’t actually surrendered their hearts.
Jesus and the Anti-Cross Life
In Matthew 23, Jesus exposes what we could call the anti-cross life. Hypocrisy is at the heart of it—the word itself comes from the Greek for “actor.” These are people wearing a mask, performing righteousness, and caring more about appearances than transformation. They preach truth but resist its demands in their own lives.
Jesus warns us with seven “woes,” starting with a sharp observation: the anti-cross life values applause over humility. The Pharisees loved recognition—they widened their scripture boxes, lengthened their tassels, sought the best seats at feasts, and craved to be called “rabbi.” Everything they did was for visibility, not transformation.
In contrast, the cross-shaped life prioritizes faithfulness over fame. Jesus tells His disciples, “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” The kingdom of God flips the world’s values upside down: humility over applause, service over recognition, faithfulness over showmanship.
The Anti-Cross Life Shuts Doors and Opens the Wrong Ones
Jesus continues His rebuke by showing that hypocritical leaders don’t just harm themselves—they mislead others. They shut the right doors and open the wrong ones. They can make converts, but these converts aren’t being led to life—they’re being bound by legalism, performance, and distorted priorities.
The cross-shaped life, by contrast, opens doors wide. It leads people to Christ and empowers them to live in God’s grace.
Distorted Values: Temporary Over Eternal
Another characteristic of the anti-cross life is its distorted priorities. The Pharisees elevated gold over the temple, offerings over the altar, and minor rituals over justice, mercy, and faithfulness. They measured herbs with precision while swallowing camels of corruption.
Jesus exposes this spiritual blindness to remind us that the cross-shaped life reorders our priorities. What shines is not more important than what sanctifies. Eternal matters take precedence over temporary achievements.
Cleaning the Inside First
Jesus uses vivid imagery to illustrate the contrast: whitewashed tombs. Outwardly clean, inwardly decayed. The anti-cross life scrubs appearances while harboring greed, pride, and hypocrisy. But the cross-shaped life submits to transformation at the center—it starts inside, letting obedience flow outward naturally.
“First clean the inside, so that the outside may become clean also.” Matthew 23:26. True transformation begins at the heart.
Resisting the King vs. Embracing His Lordship
The anti-cross life self-deceives and resists the King. It honors the past while rejecting present correction. It praises prophets in theory but silences them in practice. It resists grace even when it’s offered.
The cross-shaped life, in contrast, embraces truth humbly, repents toward holiness, and yields to Jesus’s lordship. This is crucififormity: a life shaped by the cross, willing to confront pride, surrender sin, and follow Jesus fully.
Hope in the Midst of Rebuke
Even as Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, He mourns over Jerusalem: “How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks, and you were unwilling.” Matthew 23:37. He exposes hypocrisy not to condemn, but to redeem. The cross is both the standard and the hope—it confronts, corrects, and draws us to grace.
Living Cruciform Lives Today
Matthew 23 challenges us to examine our hearts:
- Are we seeking applause or authentic obedience?
- Do we open doors for people to Christ, or do we create barriers?
- Are we focused on eternal truths, or chasing what shines?
- Are we cleaning the inside first, or only polishing the outside?
Crucififormity flips our priorities: it values humility over recognition, service over fame, and obedience over convenience. It frees us to love genuinely, serve faithfully, and live boldly for Christ.
Matthew 23 shows the danger of the anti-cross life and the beauty of crucififormity. The invitation is clear: stop performing for applause, start living for the cross, and let Jesus transform your heart from the inside out.