Don't be hypocrites !

Sunday February 13, 2022

Don't be hypocrites !

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to pray standing in synagogues and on street corners, to be seen by men.” Matthew 6.5

Jesus is the only person in the New Testament to use the word “hypocrite”. And there may be a reason for that : archaeologists have discovered a city called Sepphoris built by Herod the Great when Jesus was a child. He could see her from the top of the hill on which stood Nazareth, the village where He then lived. In Sepphoris was a large amphitheater where many performances were given. Actors wore masks so viewers could identify the characters they were meant to portray. At the end of the performance they took off their masks and the spectators could then acclaim them as actors and no longer in the guise of their characters. These actors were called “hypokrites”. So playing hypocrites means wearing a mask intended to impress or lie to others! Then Jesus explains that we tend to play hypocrites in three very specific areas :

1- when we make donations. “When you give a gift to someone, do not sound the trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order to receive the glory that comes from men” (Matthew 6. 2).

2- when we pray. “When you pray, enter your room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is there in the secret place ; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

3- when we express a judgment. “For you will be judged in the same way that you have been judged, and the measure you have used will be used for you. Why then do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye and do not notice the beam that is in your eye ? Or how can you say to your brother : Let me take the speck out of your eye, when you have a beam in yours ? Hypocrite, first remove the beam from your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye” (Matthew 7. 2-5).

His Word to you today is : avoid hypocrisy like the plague !

Source (His Word for Today)