Hypocrites??

Can you tell me who said, “There is no place like home.”? Sure. You said Judy Garland from the Wizard of Oz

Or this one: “They call me Mr. Tibbs.”. Sidney Poitier from In The Heat of the Night.

How about this last one. “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!”. If you said Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, you would be correct.

Each one of these actors drew us into their performance and made it more than just believable. They cause us to feel their emotions.

These are Great actors.

But sadly, many people put their religions, or their acts of righteousness, on display for everyone to see. It is not who they really are, but what they want you to think. And they too, draw us into their performance. And we speak of their righteousness as great. Their generous donations as heroic. Their speeches as mesmerizing.

Each one gets his own praise for his religious performance.

And others, thinking this is what you are supposed to do, create their own religious theatrics.

There are some dangers here that you need to know about. I will tell you what they are, and how to stop the danger.

I had a friend walk up to me one day and asked me why our religious group did not participate with the other religious groups in a local Halloween Trunk or Treat.  He also asked why we did not participate with other religious groups in sunrise services on Easter Sunday. He was wanting our group to have publicity and good relations in the community.

Without being judgmental, this is what popped into my mind. Matthew 6:1-4  “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men TO BE NOTICED BY THEM; otherwise you have NO REWARD with your Father who is in heaven.  (2)  “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the HYPOCRITES do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD IN FULL.  (3)  “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,  (4)  so that your giving will be IN SECRET; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Practicing my righteousness, or as in the case of my friend, my Religion in a HIGHLY PUBLIC way according to the Unconventional Jesus, is somewhat dangerous. He did said Beware.

What is dangerous is the public display of my personal righteousness. The reason is that my righteousness can become PRETENTIOUS. I can pretend to be extremely pious FOR THE SAKE OF OTHER PEOPLE WATCHING. My Pious-ness could become “fake.”

Let me share with you 2 things Jesus said in this text.

Did you notice the words “to be noticed”? The original Greek word here is the same as our word “THEATRICAL”. It is talking about a performance.

And, did you notice the word “hypocrites”. The Greek word is for ACTORS in the theater. They pretended to be someone else, not themselves. They were “fakes.”

Jesus says this kind of righteousness, or religion, gets NO REWARD FROM GOD.

It is the kind of “fake Christianity” where I make it obvious how generous a contribution I am making. and people shower me with honors. BUT GOD DOES NOT HONOR ME.

Praise and Distinction from people is gained by this kind of public philanthropy. It is its own reward. Whatever people think is ALL THE REWARD you will get.  God does not give any reward for you being an actor or hypocrite

Our righteousness, or our religious activities, need to be real, personal, and quiet. Make sure no one knows the size of your donation. Don’t say prayers with lofty religious words so as to draw attention to yourself. Do not announce how much Bible you studied to create a talk, video, or class. Or how long it took for you to make that piece of clothing you’re going to give away. Or that blanket or quilts you will contribute.

Do not conform to what others do. Just make a donation. Say your prayers in private. Spend your own time in the book.  Do your needlework privately.  Just do it QUIETLY without any fanfare.

This is the kind of righteousness or religious activity that God does see. And isn’t HE the only one who really counts anyway? If he wants to give you a reward for your goodness, kindness, thoughtfulness, or generosity, then let Him do the rewarding.

Righteousness should be for the simple sake of BEING RIGHT. It should not matter what kind of reward we get.  This kind of righteousness gives us joy, peace, and contentment.  These kinds of helpful actions become a wonderful reward in themselves.

It’s time for you to stop being a religious actor in your community’s theater of attention. What kind of righteousness, or religion, do you have? Is it for everyone to see? Or is it just for God?

Here at Timeless Talks, we are grateful for the time you have given us. We hope it causes you to stop and think. If you have any kind of need, you can use the contact page on the website. The link is in the description. And we have people waiting to pray for you. Use the prayer request page for private prayers.

Thank you for watching, and until we can visit again, goodbye for now.