Ouch! I know that stings a bit! But before you start thinking that I've turned on my own and loaded my bow with the arrow of cynicism out of my quiver of bitterness that hangs on my back, read on.
I am a hypocrite at times. You are a hypocrite at times. It's not that we intend to be this way. In fact most people, regardless of their faith, try to live their life with the utmost of integrity. But what is interesting about Christians (not all) and the church (not every) is that there really is this underlying knowledge of a truth that nobody wants to talk about. We are all hypocrites.
So what is a hypocrite? It's a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc, that he/she does not actually possess. One whose private life, opinions, or statements contradicts his/her public statements.
So why do most Christians deny their hypocrisy when others (both non-Christians and Christians) can see it so clearly? I think it is has a lot to do with a lie. A lie that the church has perpetuated for centuries. It's the lie that you have to have all your shit together. Look, act and smell perfect. It's a distortion of a Christian's goal "to be like Jesus." So a strong sense of denial of our own sin that is bubbling beneath the surface is formed. I believe this happens because we have not truly learned to die to ourselves. We have no clue what it means to "be like Jesus." So we act with a predisposed notion that in order to "be a Christian" I need to behave a certain way. We stop being real with ourselves and with others.
Think about it. When a Christian sees the first hint of another Christian "judging" us we pull out the old trusty Matthew 7:1-4 verse and justify our passiveness to the issue and set up a road block that will not allow our fellow believer to call us on our B.S. (sin). Meanwhile Satan is slowly derailing us from the mission of Jesus. Why do succumb to this un-biblical approach and stop short of calling out each others B.S.? Because the haunting truth is we all know we have that log in our eye so we don't feel "comfortable" calling someone out on their little old speck of dust. In fact, as a result of my thoughts on this very blog I have had this passage quoted to me.
Here is what is fascinating about the quiver and the Matthew 7 arrow that we all carry....the next verse! If you read the very next verse it says this:
"You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."
Sadly this part of the arrow is conveniently trimmed off when it is pulled from the quiver and loaded into the bow and shot in a defensive mode. However, this was clear instruction from Jesus on how to appropriately judge someone who is a "brother (or sister)." Obviously this is not our biological family he is speaking of, but the new family that is found in the community of the followers of The Way of Christ.
Is their more to this than personal responsibility though? Is there a global responsibility of how the shared-organism of Jesus ought to behave and consciously be aware of hypocrisy? Naturally your consciousness to the Holy Spirit tells you, "Yes, of course." But can we live consciously incompetent (I am aware of what I don't know) lives as individuals and participate in an unconsciously incompetent (I am not aware of what I don't know) practice of Jesus' commission? In other words can we live in isolation with our sin and truly be a community of believers who are being Jesus to others?
Jesus showed disdain toward religious hypocrisy by ransacking the market that was set up in the temple, and on several occasions calling the religious leaders (pastors) hypocrites for the way they operated "the church" and their lives at that time. What is interesting is the reaction of those that Jesus chastised. They were stunned, shocked, perplexed and down right indignant that he would dare say such things, after all I'm sure they were all being consciously aware of "how they were living their own lives" in light of worshiping God. Does this sound familiar? But their reaction is predictable of anyone who knows that they are living in a perpetuated lie of denying their sin. They have to act shocked. They have to act sunned. They have to act perplexed. The only alternative is acceptance.
Only a humble person, that is dead to themselves and alive in Christ Jesus, would be accepting and become consciously competent (I am aware of what I know) of their hypocrisy. If one can get to this point then their is hope that they can become a true disciple of Christ and their life, their sin, their desire, their hypocrisy disolves into the life of Jesus to they point that they become unconsciously competent (I am not aware of what I know) of who they are. In other words a Christian that acts out of true instinct of who Jesus is and how his spirit manifests in his/her life.
Maybe this isn't a fair comparison since Jesus was ultimately rejected by "the church" and put to death for such heretical teaching. Maybe it's not fair because ultimately his own people rejected him as the King, as the Redeemer, as God and ultimately rejected his mission. Or maybe it IS fair because that is the point. Jesus came to point people back to God, through himself, and not through the religious system that had been established and had become a stumbling block for those in pursuit of God.
So let's be honest, admit our hypocrisy, remove the log and get to helping those in our tribe with the specks (and logs) in their lives so we can get back to the mission that Jesus gave us. After all the mission did come first did it not!?!?
