The Hypocrite

(1) Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees - their hypocrisy. (2) The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed and all that is secret will be made known to all. (3) Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear."

                                                                                               Luke 12:1-3. New Living Translation

Very strong and attention-getting words from Jesus! Words that make us look within ourselves and check out what we have been saying and how we act.

William Barclay commenting on this passage said:

'The original Jewish meaning of the word hypocrite began by meaning someone who answers. Hypocrisy originally meant answering. First the words were used of the ordinary flow of question and answer in any talk or dialogue. Then they began to be connected with question and answer in a play. From that, they went on to be connected with acting a part. The hypocrite is never genuine but is always play-acting. The basis of hypocrisy is insincerity.'

                                                                     William Barclay - The Gospel of Luke

Food for thought isn't it? So the root of hypocrisy is insincerity - it is play-acting or living a lie. The hypocrite - which we can all be at times - seeks success and the attention of others. The hypocrite lives such a life that condemns certain sinful practices, that they may be involved with themselves - but in secret.

Over the years, several well-known preachers have had their sinfulness revealed - the very sin that they had been preaching against. The hypocrite can hide their lifestyle from other people but they cannot hide it from God. He may well reveal it at sometime.

This is strong stuff, but let us look at the 'play-acting' side of things. We've all done this from time to time - copying that special hero type figure. There was a film some time ago about a chap called Walter Mitty, which was about a daydreamer who used fantasy to give himself escape from his humdrum life. He would imagine he was a war-time pilot; an imminent surgeon or a successful spy, just to make his life more exciting. The problem was, he always had to come back to reality.

The bottom line? You may have been hypocritical on occasions, leading people to think of you, what you are not. Repent. God is very forgiving. You may also be the 'Walter Mitty' type, imagining yourself in that next blockbuster assignment. Just stop there and be yourself. God knows you as yourself, not as some fantasy hero. Just be you. He likes that.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

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