hypocrite Archives – Sonshine's Journal

November 5, 2023November 5, 2023

Woes!

Luke 20-21, Matt 23 As Jesus was getting closer to His time of departure, Matthew records several woes to the experts in the law. A Woe is a statement of not just grief but of bitter grief. The heart of Jesus is broken for these whom God had placed in a position of religious leadership were blind guides. They added to God’s simple commandments and added hundreds of rules that they expected the people to obey but they themselves did not.

Over and over Matthew records this: Woe to you blind guides, hypocrites. Matthew then lists these that Jesus pronounced and we should take time to listen and then evaluate our own rules. For example: do I dress modestly or showy? Do I greet those I know but ignore those I have not met yet? Do I parade my credentials or remain humble before others? Do I give generously or meagerly?

Jesus pointed these out that we might evaluate ourselves in light of God’s Word. How say I today to these and even more that Jesus revealed?

June 6, 2021June 6, 2021

Beware of the Winking Eye!

Proverbs 10 One can learn much from the eye. The Proverbs author reminds the reader that a winking eye or the shifty eye reveals a scheming person who seeks to move from thinking a terrible deed to executing that deed by signaling the plan to unscrupulous companions. The expression “winks the eye” refers to secret signs or hidden messages sent to an accomplice. As the king, David learned early on how to detect those who were using this hypocritical signal. He was aware of this strategy and prayed: “Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me; Nor let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously.” [Ps 35:19]Solomon also noted this pattern and why he wrote this as wise counsel to his sons and others.

Why do we need to be wary of these patterns? He who winks the eye uses subtle or secretive means. In contrast, he who would be wise is thus forewarned and prepared against this hypocrisy. Those who are wise will learn to identify and avoid those persons.

Beware of these by befriending them so that you are secure in your integrity.

June 26, 2016

James 2 “WWJD?”

James 2 WWJD Blog picture Have you ever encountered someone who said: “You are a hypocrite and churches are filled with hypocrites—that is why I do not go there.” That word hypocrite conjures up and inflame emotions. As we hear that we are hypocrites we must stop and ask:

How did they come to that conclusion and is their conclusion right?

Christ ministered to a Canaanite woman; asked for a drink from a Samaritan woman and answered questions of a prominent Pharisee, Nicodemus. Do we offer mercy, love and the Fruit of the Spirit to all we meet without favoritism or partiality as Jesus did? We are to follow his example because we must not be just hearers of the word but doers as well. God in His love sent His Son to redeem us and he did not do it based upon race, gender or national heritage. God is not only impartial but he loves the world—not just you and me.

“Favoritism is not compatible with the Christian faith.”[B. Deffinbaugh].

James is asking his readers do you truly want to show the world that God has saved and transformed you?. If so, they, as we, must fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,”

Ever wonder who you will stand next to in eternity? Take a look at those you pass by each day….it could be one of them. Remember this WWJD?

January 22, 2014

Forgiveness Heals Two Wounds

I am sure you have met people who report their lack of attendance at the house of God on worship days because “there are hypocrites there.” Welcome to the neighborhood, we are all hypocrites in one shape or other. We offend because we fail to think, we judge because we feel we are superior in our spiritual understanding, we respond with forked tongue more often than not. Jesus remarked that if we are to be found faithful we must be faithful in much as well as trustworthy. We must be honest in all of our relationships and demonstrate to the world God’s way of responding. Jesus had just taught about Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man had every opportunity to forgive and respond in kindness but he chose not to do so and now Jesus follows up that in chapter 17.

The rich man’s problem was that he chose to offend, he chose to be a stumbling block, and he chose to ignore Lazarus’ need. Jesus begins by saying, yes offenses will come, but WOE to the one that is the cause. And so he bridges from this parable to teach his disciples about kingdom life. He said “watch/guard yourself” in how you respond as the true test of kingdom living is forgiveness even if someone offends or abuses us 7 times in a day and returns to seek forgiveness OR even if they do not accept our forgiveness or respond to it. It was common in that day for the Pharisees to keep a record of offenses—-Jesus says that is not God’s way. Instead look at it this way. You are the servant, the slave in the kingdom. When we offer forgiveness to another we have a choice to respond in one of two ways:

We can say pridefully that it was hard to do but it had to be done. OR
We say as the servant in this story: ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’” In other words, we were obedient as that is the model of God’s forgiveness.

Now Jesus uses the story of the 10 lepers to teach even more about this principle: we are not only to forgive but also when forgiven we are to thank the forgiver and healer of our soul. Only one leper returned to Jesus to thank him. He was saying to the disciples, you see this leper; that is true kingdom living. He was saying you are the blessed receivers but often fail to thank God for it. The other lepers went on their way healed but they did not return. That is how forgiveness often works. Some are accepting of our gift and others just take it for granted. Also, some choose to keep a record of those times they forgave. You have failed to see that you are to be like the servants “we have done our duty;” obedient to the teaching of Christ. Mat 6:14 “For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Jesus says, no matter the response, it is our attitude and our obedience as servants in the kingdom. It is our duty as God’s servants.

To all of this the disciples respond with this statement: Increase our faith. Jesus said it doesn’t need to be increased; you already have the faith you need, you just need to exercise it, plant it and watch the results.

So the questions before us are many but here are a few: Where are you holding an unforgiving spirit within? Where are you judging without mercy? Where are you like the 9 lepers who have failed to thank God for His forgiveness of your sin?

September 3, 2013

Living Righteously in the Body of Christ.

Romans 14 always brings to forefront tears for me as I see the Body of Christ being torn asunder with differing opinions. I have to step aside and ask is there a grain of truth in this ounce of criticism and if so in light of eternity is this something I need to alter in my life so that the enemy will not use as his tool to divide the fellowship of my church/fellowship of believers? Maybe that is the question we must all ask ourselves as there are many in the church and outside the church that cry: Hypocrite! Hypocrite! We could all share from our experiences family members, friends, co-workers, etc. that have said this to us and it causes us to cringe. Could it be that in some respects they are right? Let’s dig in and see what we are to learn and then more practically what we are to apply.

Paul addresses this full head on in chapter 14 but does not use the word hypocrite but rather bluntly says “do not condemn” and “do not judge.” Yesterday we talked about how to live righteously in an unrighteous world. Today Paul asks us the same question but in regards to how we live in the Body of Christ. Again we need to come back to our premise of yesterday: we are to love our neighbor and sometimes loving comes at a price, comes when we are face to face with those who differ with us. How do we do that lovingly? That is the question.

First off, Paul addressed two situations that the church in Rome was experiencing and which we find are the same two that are still with us today: food/drink and days on which we worship. Some say it is ok to eat certain foods, another says no. Some say it is ok to drink alcohol and another says no. Some say you must worship only on Saturday and others say not so, worship on Sunday or any other day is ok. Oh the tools that Satan uses to divide and he will use whatever he can to destroy the Body of Christ. We must remember that our enemy, Satan, is wily, and he knows where we are weak and where we are strong. (2Co 2:11 Satan… (for we are not ignorant of his schemes); and in fact he often disguises himself as an angel of light (2Cor 11:4). He will seek to divide and cause disunity and what better place than within the Body of Christ? Let’s get practical here and see what the Word of God says.

Paul uses very strong language in this situation: vs 4 “Who are you to pass judgment on another’s servant?” Then he also reminds us that we are “not to condemn” nor are we to “judge.” And if we didn’t get those phrases he adds another: DO NOT to be a stumbling block for another. So if we are not to do that, then what key elements should be a part of our life?

Beloved, the key is found in vs 7: “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

14:19 “So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another.” Did you note that the word peace seems to be cropping up over and over from chapter 12 to 14? Did you also note that he inserts peace between righteousness and joy? If you do a search you will find that Paul used that word 13 times in this book.

Today may we seek peace above all else. May this be our mandate for today, Rom 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. And if we disagree on the points of food/drink and days–remember that Satan is lurking, waiting and looking for ways to divide us. Ecc 4:12 Although an assailant may overpower one person, two can withstand him. Moreover, a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken. Let’s keep the three strand:

J – Jesus O- Others Y- Yourself = Jesus righteousness, peace, joy