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Adolf Hitler often used Christian language in his speeches and talked about blessings from Almighty God. He said Christian beliefs would be pillars of his new government. At news conferences, he handed out pious stories to the press, especially to the religious press. He would often show his tattered Bible and claimed he drew strength from it for his great work. Many religious people welcomed him as a man sent from God. Hitler was a master of outward religiosity, but he had no inner integrity. Jesus Christ reserved His most scathing indictments for religious hypocrites. We read in Matthew chapter 23 that He said, “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!” Our Lord alerts us that we must be very careful lest we present an outward façade of religiosity, while hiding inner hatred and bitterness that grieves the heart of God.
