Hypocrisy and Freedom

Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” Luke 12:1–3

When people inside or outside of Christianity think about Jesus, they generally think of him as a pretty easygoing guy; loving, accepting, encouraging. While that is generally true, there is one group of people to whom Jesus spoke pretty harshly: hypocrites, those who say one thing and do another. The word hypocrite is used 24 times in the New Testament, 20 times by Jesus, and each of the times with very strong language. Jesus hates hypocrisy, because hypocrisy is a cancer that grows, a yeast which leavens beyond our ability to control it.

God can deal with our doubts, confusion, stumbling, seeking – any number of things. God will meet us in them and engage with us where we are, while he seeks to draw us more and more fully towards himself. In order for him to do so, we need to be honest with ourselves and with him. There is nothing that he cannot do, no problem that he will not enter into with us, no problem that he does not know more about than we ourselves know. It is, frankly, foolishness to live a life of hypocrisy, essentially burying our heads in the sand, wearing a mask that hides who we truly are, and hoping that somehow God will be fooled as well.

If we are honest, we all have areas of our lives that do not align with who we say we are or want to be. Some have bigger areas, some have smaller, but we all have them. In the dark these areas grow in size, strength, and control. In the light, they lose their strength and we become free of their control.

• Is there an area in your life that has more power over you than you ever intended it to have?
• Is there an area in your life where your actions do not align with who you really are?
• Do you feel trapped? 

Jesus is the light and the power that frees us from the things that entangle us. Most often he uses other people to shine the light and free us from the darkness.

• Can you think of anybody who might play that role in your life?
• Is there someone you can ask to help you get unstuck?

 Invite God and invite others into the places. You are not alone in this, each of us needs others

 to truly be free in Christ.

 Peace, hope and love

 

 Doug