26 Oct 2015
If there’s one thing Jesus does not like it’s hypocrisy. We hear him again and again in Scripture
calling people out (the Pharisees, in particular) for being hypocrites. But, he’s not calling them out for being
sinners—he’s calling them out for being hypocrites. And they aren’t the same.
We’re all
sinners. From time to time we all go
against the ideas of faith, hope and, especially, love—love of God and love of
neighbor. We’re all sinners. But a hypocrite is someone who more quickly
points out the sins of others, rather than his or her own sins. A hypocrite is self-righteous and looks down
on others. In many ways, a hypocrite
replaces God in his or her heart—insofar as God is the one who is all-seeing,
all-knowing, and truly righteous and good.
A hypocrite makes an idol out of him or herself. And so, it’s easy to see why Jesus absolutely
does not like hypocrisy. But, you know,
he loves the sinner—especially sinners
who admit with honesty and even joy that they need God in their lives. Hypocrites cut God out of their hearts by
their own pride. But sinners open their
hearts to God by simply saying, “Lord, I have sinned. Forgive me."
What a blessed thing it is to be a sinner, a humble and honest
sinner. What a blessed thing it is to
have a heart open to God—because that one
Jesus can love.
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