The bad guys in the gospels were not only drug dealers, bank robbers, prostitutes, heretics, or political traitors. In fact, by comparison with the real bad guys in the gospels, these people came across more as the good guys depending upon the life conditions they have come across.
The bad guys were the Pharisees — religious hypocrites (according to Yeshua) who did all their virtuous acts to be seen and praised by others. Yeshua said that they were respectably impressive on the outside, but full of death and decay on the inside. He told us not to be like them. (Matthew 23:27-28)
But where is that being preached in the so-called religious world today? Our religious leaders continue to imitate the Pharisees more than they imitate Yeshua. And the ignorant masses continue to be impressed, because these imposters talk about the so-called Holy Books, prayer, love, faith, and other virtues and virtuous acts. And they do so while secretly opposing all that Yeshua taught.
Yeshua says that they make the Word of God (i.e. the teachings of Yeshua) of no effect through their traditions (i.e. through their quest for respectability). (Mark 7:13)
Yeshua says, for example, that we should not only pray but that we should also do these pious acts secretly, so that others will not know about it. This separates true piety from respectability.
The desire to be accepted and respected by others is almost as powerful as greed. Respectability is more likely to inspire people to do selfless acts, because respectability is the counterfeit of faith in God, whereas greed is the antithesis of faith in God. But respectability and greed usually go hand in hand.
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