In Ancient Greece, “hypocrite” refers to the actor on the stage – the one who dons the thespian’s masks and makes believe – the pretender paid to entertain.
Commentator Craig Evans notes that this idea of performance is likely in the background of Jesus’ warnings about practicing “acts of righteousness” publicly as a form of showmanship (see Matthew 6:1–2). Such imagery would have resonated with those listening to Jesus (a few miles north of Nazareth, in the city of Sepphoris, Herod Antipas had constructed a Greco-Roman theatre that seated around 2,500 people.) So, when Jesus called out those who offered private prayers in public for show, branding them as hypocrites, His listeners would have vividly imagined a stage performer—vain, theatrical, and craving applause—delivering a self-important monologue from center stage.
Stage performing has its place, of course, but in our day, there’s nothing admirable or entertaining about the word “hypocrite.”
I’ve found that most of us don’t need much excuse to avoid doing something we don’t want to do, OR to do something we want to do! We are crafty and resourceful when it comes to getting our way.
We can find the slightest things offensive when we don’t like someone but then excuse the most horrible behaviors when we admire them! We can dismiss another’s suffering as insignificant until we go through what they did! Our limited vision and lack of empathy cause us to treat one another terribly, without the slightest sense that we’ve done anything wrong!
Why are we like this? Why are we so lopsided in our ways? Why is it so easy to highlight another’s flaws while making light of our own? How can we demand validation for our feelings while we ignore others’?
It seems that ALL of us are different degrees of hypocritical! All of us.
Thank God for grace.
The question is, can we confess our duplicity and then determine to do better, or have we already taken a defensive posture and decided to reject these words? Are we angry or annoyed, irritated by these words? Why?
All of us are hypocrites. Period.
How will we respond to this truth?
We can admit our hypocrisy and receive grace for ourselves and offer grace to others, or we can conceal our hypocrisy behind masks of self-righteousness, and receive bitterness for ourselves and others…
Today, I own my hypocrisy. And I receive grace to be and to do better! How about you?
10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
Romans 14:10-11
When I was at the gym, a song appeared on my playlist that resonated with me.
This refrain has become a prayer for me:
People, people
People, people
Forgive these (People, people)
Heal me from (People, people)
Crazy (People, people)
Trolling (People, people)
Self-righteous (People, people)
Entitled (People, people)
Hating (People), lying (People)
Disrespectful (People, people)
Forgive me when I’m one of those people, people.
Deliver me.
Jonathan McReynolds
Discussion Prompts:
- What will it take to confess our duplicity and more fully encounter and be changed by God’s grace?
- In what areas of life have we taken a defensive posture because we fear the implications of faithful transparency or vulnerability?
- What are some practices that we can embrace and/or teach that cultivate empathy?
- What are the challenges? What are the risks?
- Is proximity or direct experience a prerequisite for compassion and understanding?
- Is this impacted by the different ways we use technology to ‘connect’ with others?
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