Monday, February 11, 2008

 

How Will They Know Series

Matthew 23:12 “For whoever exalts himself with be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

 

A Hypocrite

 

The Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary says “hypocrisy” or “hypocrite” originally was a Greek word that meant “the act of playing a part.”   It was always used metaphorically to signify the action of pretending.  In English the metaphorical meaning is “pretending to be good when one is not.” 

 

The Hebrew root translated “hypocrisy” or “hypocrite” often means “godless, evil-doer, sinner, or wicked.”   It signals a person who is impious or who pollutes or corrupts goodness.   The meaning is basically a pretense or a simulation of goodness, one who is pretending to be good and who is not.  

 

When Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites, he was attacking them for simulating goodness. You may recall in Matthew 23:5, “everything they do is for men to see: they make their phylacteries wide and the tassels of their prayer shawls long;  they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogue.  They love to be greeted in the marketplace and to have men call them Rabbi.”    Later in the same passage he says, “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites.  You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and then the outside will be clean also.”  

 

Jesus teaches that hypocrisy becomes malice, scheming, and unfaithful.   Jesus felt that the religious authorities of his day were actually blind in their relationship to God.   Paul says those people who pretended are pretending to be sincere when they are not.  That is what the Bible says about hypocrites, in essence.   

 

I believe his teaching for us today is that we simply become sincere followers of Christ.   That does not mean that we act like we are perfect.   We, of course, are not perfect!   It is ungodly to pretend so.   We all struggle with our lives.   A genuine believer humbly acknowledges places where they are weak and shares the difficulties of their faith and ethics.   It is important as Christians that we are transparent about our flaws.  It is wrong to try to impress people with our goodness, our religiosity, when the truth is that we are indeed struggling with our faith.   May God help us to make a true statement of our faith for the world to see and learn from.    

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to be a person of genuine faith.  Help me never to pretend what is not true.   Help me to live out a life of faith for all to see.   Help me to never be false by pretending I am something I am not.  Amen. 

 

 

I hope to see you in church on Sunday!