In Ancient Greece the hypocrite is the actor on the stage. The one who dons the thespian’s masks and makes believe – the pretender paid to entertain. But, in our day, there’s nothing admirable or entertaining about being labeled a hypocrite.
I’ve found that most of us don’t need much excuse to not do something we don’t want to do, OR to do something we really want to do! We are crafty and resourceful when it comes to getting our own way, huh?
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 have to 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 is it that we can demand validation for our own 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.
But, how will we respond?
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.”
Good Morning, I love you all!
ihs,
just adam
pastorpoet 