"I can find nothing worse to call a person than a hypocrite. It's the supreme insult. Hypocrite. Phony. Fake. Any of the bad names and vulgarities that are in common use to label a person as unlovely, or undesirable, or unacceptable are more tolerable than this one: hypocrite. The reason that hypocrite is such an awful word is that it reveals a lie at the very core of one's being.
Do you agree that "hypocrite" is the supreme insult, the most contemptible of conditions? And do you agree that you're surrounded by hypocrites, that the condition is epidemic? Then let me ask you to do something. For the next few minutes, refuse to think about anyone else except yourself. Deny yourself the luxury of labeling others and examine your own life. Because the plain fact is, you are a hypocrite. And so am I.
The most famous attack on hypocrisy was by Jesus. His most famous address on the subject is in Matthew 23. In that chapter three things take place. First, Jesus describes the nature of hypocrisy. Then he thundered out seven woes on the hypocrites, citing various examples of their hypocrisy. Finally, he concluded his address compassionately, with an invitation to repentance." Eugene Peterson, Conversations, pg. 1529My pride had a hard time with this chapter. I resisted applying Jesus' words to myself, using the excuse that I'm not a religion scholar or a Pharisee. Seemed reasonable to me!
And it was very easy to name the people who I think are hypocrites. Isn't it amazing how I can see hypocrisy in others, yet be completely blind to my own sin? But of course, the Holy Spirit still hasn't let me off the hook.
[Jesus]: "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer." (23:2-3)After a rough weekend of dealing with my own stubborn sin patterns, I'm wrestling with Jesus' words to the religious people. "Frauds!" he calls them. It sounds harsh and rude, but in my heart, I know I'm a fraud too. So often, my actions, attitudes, and motivations don't line up with what I profess to believe, and I have a weekend full of reminders of that truth.
I'm convinced that it's better to deal in reality, rather than thinking I'm something that I'm not, that I'm better than I really am. The truth keeps me humble, keeps me desperate for my Savior, and keeps me preaching the gospel to myself. It reminds me that I can't do this life on my own. The Scriptures are constantly stripping me of my illusions about myself. Apart from Christ, I am hopeless.
You all have a single Teacher...let him tell you what to do... There is only one Life-Leader for you...Christ. (23:10)Lord, forgive my hypocrisy. Forgive my sinful judgment of others in this area. I pray that You will plant Your word in my heart and use it to transform my life. I pray that I will live a life of integrity and wholeness, that my words and my behavior will line up. And I know I can do that only by following You, allowing You to be my only Life-Leader.
"I don't know of any easy way to break the hypocrite habit, but I do know one way: Take each example of hypocrisy that Jesus touched and become more interested in finding out whether his words are aimed at you personally, and not anyone else." Peterson, pg. 1530I'm taking this challenge today. I desperately want to break my hypocrite habit.
4 comments:
Ouch. Jesus' words are true of me: "You're hopeless." I am hopeless to live a conflicted, hypocritical life, apart from Him, "the only Life-Leader", the One who wants to gather me under His wings.
I think for me, the biggest area that continues to convict my soul is my critical thinking and judgement. I desire the fruit of goodness and kindness. Lord, continue to make me aware of my shortcomings in this area. I desire this type of sin to be gone in my life and replaced with your kind of thinking. My insides need to be scoured daily! Have you ever microwaved an egg and failed to put PAM in the bowl first? My dishwasher is unable to get my bowl clean of egg residue. I think my insides are like that when it comes to my critical thoughts. Lord, I fall short on my own of keeping this area clean. Your power can do it. Cleanse me Lord and change me! Let this be gone from my life and replace it with the thoughts of Christ.
Jesus, I repent of my self-centeredness and hypocrisy in my life.
I'm constantly surprised by my sin still. Thinking I could strive to be more faithful or selfless. But only Jesus and the Word sinking deeply into my heart and penetrating my life could change these things. The dirtiness deep within me, the brokenness. Jesus, take me and cleanse me clean. Draw me deep into Your Word and meet my thirst for You. Help me to thirst more <3 for my Only true satisfier, You. Bring me to the party. I want to come!
All we can deal with is the fray of our own heart. Take life into your heart and live it out in your behavior ~ Matthew 23:2. I am missing God when my focus is what others are doing to me or have done to me. Self-absorbed. So grateful to God Who doesn't hold our hypocrisy against us but saves us from ourselves.
Post a Comment