The hypocrisy of the Pharisees was the product of self-seeking. The glorification of themselves was the object of their lives. It was this that led them to pervert and misapply the Scriptures, and blinded them to the purpose of Christ's mission. This subtle evil even the disciples of Christ were in danger of cherishing. Those who classed themselves with the followers of Jesus, but who had not left all in order to become His disciples, were influenced in a great degree by the reasoning of the Pharisees. They were often vacillating between faith and unbelief, and they did not discern the treasures of wisdom hidden in Christ. Even the disciples, though outwardly they had left all for Jesus' sake, had not in heart ceased to seek great things for themselves. It was this spirit that prompted the strife as to who should be greatest. It was this that came between them and Christ, making them so little in sympathy with His mission of self-sacrifice, so slow to comprehend the mystery of redemption. As leaven, if left to complete its work, will cause corruption and decay, so does the self-seeking spirit, cherished, work the defilement and ruin of the soul.

Farisæernes hykleri stammede fra egoisme. Selvforherligelsen var deres livs mål. Det var den, som fik dem til at forvanske og mistyde Skrifterne, og som gjorde dem blinde for formålet med Kristi sendelse. Denne snigende fare var selv disciplene udsatte for. De, som regnede sig for at høre til blandt Jesu disciple, men de havde ikke forladt alt for at blive det, disse blev i høj grad påvirkede af farisæernes fornuftgrunde. De vaklede ofte mellem tro og vantro, og de opfattede ikke de skatte af visdom, der skjulte sig i Kristus. Selv disciplene var, skønt de udadtil havde forladt alt for Jesu skyld, ikke i deres hjerte holdt op med at ønske storhed for sig selv. Det var denne ånd, som tilskyndede dem til striden om, hvem af dem der skulle være den største. Det var dette, der stod imellem dem og Kristus, og som gjorde, at de stemte så dårligt overens med hans selvopofrende tjeneste og var så længe om at forstå frelsens mysterium. Ligesom surdejen, hvis den får lov at fuldende sit værk, vil forårsage fordærvelse og ødelæggelse, sådan vil den egoistiske ånd, hvis den bliver næret, virke til sjælens besmittelse.