Throughout the gospels, Jesus takes issue with hypocrisy, because it is based on unbelief. Most of the time his criticism and name-calling was reserved for the pharisees and religious teachers of the law who saw themselves as examples of good leadership and genuine caring of God’s people, but they were only fooling themselves. Jesus knew their hearts were corrupt. The biblical definition of a hypocrite is someone who pretends goodness but underneath has a godless heart; he or she is self-deluded by his or her own pretension. A hypocrite cannot discern spiritual truth, so he or she rebels against God’s laws—again this describes an unbeliever.
It upsets me when people associate hypocrisy with a believer who professes Christ as the Way to live. Whether or not we achieve it, Christ is the Standard of righteousness. We had better profess him as the Truth in which every person is to grow, because Christ is the integrity of God and our transformation of character is his plan for human beings. So, don’t let anyone make you feel like a hypocrite because you have made Christ your Standard. Believers fall short, but we never stop trying to be like Jesus. The hypocrite is the unbeliever who has no desire to follow God’s commands for living in the first place, but wants to look honorable through good deeds.
In our passage from the gospel of Luke today, Jesus encourages believers to tenaciously serve him by holding onto supernatural joy. We look forward to his coming and we know he will return “suddenly.” We want to be living the Word when Christ returns, because there are both rewards or punishment based on how we have prepared or not prepared ourselves in cooperation with the work of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 12:35-43 NIV Watchfulness
35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”
41 Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance (Word of God) at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.
Prayer: Lord, we pray to be people, like Jesus, full of integrity and godly character. Please continue to work in our lives, so we are ready when you return. Help us to not be ashamed of your righteousness, nor cease to strive for spiritual maturity. We do not judge others, but we do proclaim you as Lord. We accept the fact that we may be accused of hypocrisy, but we know the real hypocrites are those who pretend to be good without a godly heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.