"And The Award Goes To..." 2016.12.05
Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." | ||
Luke 12:1 |
Time for a Monday morning quiz - Which one makes God shout out "WA-HOO!!"?
- Coming to church service late, hoping that someone points it out so you can set them straight?
- Seeing that person that just "causes you to struggle" and either avoiding them completely, or acting like you "didn't see them"
- Swearing, oogling, lighting up a cigarette, engaging in any type of activity that reminds you TOO MUCH of life before you were baptized
None of the these options win God over. And in all honesty, it goes against everything He stands for. But since each of us said "Jesus is Lord", we need to be held accountable for our actions. And since we are sinners, capable of no good, that'll keep us busy for quite some time. Knowing Jesus & His example, we cannot brag for one second that we're totally good when we're terribly bad.
The word Jesus used to describe the Pharisees, comes from the Greek word "hypokrites", which means "actor". Jesus saw the Pharisees for who they truly were: Oscar-award winning thespians! They played religious leaders on tv, but that was it. Their relationship with God was fake.
So... What does God want?
I think what He wants is "reality".
What I mean by that is this:
God sees everything about us. We can't hide or lie to Him. He sees us with 100% transparency. And to "act" any different from this, is funny. I mean, who do we think we're fooling? When God sees us for who we truly are, and yet we clothe ourselves with pride, selfishness, ... something to mask ourselves because we lack, we must look foolish in His eyes.
I don't think that He expects us to show our worst sides to everyone, but I also think that He doesn't want us showing off just our "germ-free" side as well. He wants us to simply be real: we are a mess in progress, and hoping that attitude lasts longer than a Sunday service.
We are ugly. Liars. Sinners. But the answer can't be found behind acting. It's found in admitting to God (and our Christian family) that we are less than perfect & need forgiveness. "No!!" it is difficult to be real but it's the only way you can allow God to work in your life.