Luke 12:1, 2 – Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed, neither hid, that shall not be known.
Jesus gives His disciples a sharp warning to be very cautious and alert regarding the leaven of the Pharisees. Leaven is yeast. It is hidden undetected in the loaf; it penetrates and permeates the dough, thereby thoroughly influencing it. It is hidden, it is unseen, yet it is constantly working. Leaven is like gravity; a silent, unremitting and powerful influence.
The Pharisees were those who separated themselves from common people and things. They were considered by others to be very spiritual and they were highly regarded. Because of this high regard and the sense of being separate and uncommon, the Pharisees developed a sense of superiority and entitlement. They felt that they had special privileges and they were exempt from the laws that governed common people. They were above the law if you will.
Hypocrisy is the inevitable posture of spiritual pride. Pride, like leaven, is insidious. Arrogant pride is a terrible thing just simply from a natural standpoint; nobody likes arrogance in others. But religious, or spiritual pride is the highest form of arrogance because it is hidden in actions that appear to be godly and sincere.
Hypocrisy is a word that comes from the theatre. It refers to the actors, who when wanting to portray a certain character or emotion, would put on a mask. One mask might portray joy, and another might depict sorrow. One mask might represent surprise, and another might illustrate anger. So, hypocrisy is wearing a mask and it has come to stand for ultimate phoniness. If we consistently wear a mask, we have become actors on the stage of life, playing the role of that which we are not. We hide behind the façade of spirituality and godly sincerity.
With the insight that could only be divine, Jesus has wonderfully warned all of us. He has told us that there is nothing covered, or hidden behind a mask, or otherwise, that shall not be revealed and known. Is it possible that this leaven of hypocrisy has penetrated our Christianity and influenced our lives today? I believe it has and the threat is ongoing and real. Having simply an outward form of religion forces us to wear a mask; we are not able to be ourselves under that system, or way of thinking. Our current culture many times promotes the wearing of a mask because we really might not want people to truly be themselves. The hardship and the hurts of life can also be a factor in the continued use of masks; I’ve been betrayed, who can I trust?
What masks are we hiding behind? What are we portraying to the world? Are we wearing a mask of a hard-working, tax-paying citizen, all the while murmuring about the boss and the government? Are we wearing a mask of the committed church member and at the same time very upset with the leadership and people of the church? Are we wearing a mask of the happy-go-lucky person while deeply struggling with fear and sadness? I dare say that all of us wear masks to some degree because part of it is a natural reflex and built-in defense system. One writer once wrote that the self that we send out to meet God is almost always a false self. Sometimes we may not even be aware that we are doing these things because we have done it for so long it has become second nature. Some of us might hide behind our books or hard work, or we might throw ourselves into activities that keep us busy; too busy to slow down and get quiet and hear our Father’s voice calling us to Himself.
Be encouraged, friends, the first step is to be aware of our tendencies and patterns. Then we must gather to ourselves a couple close friends or trusted counselors. Be open, be honest, be free and over time the masks will come off then you, and the rest of the world, will be re-introduced to your true self; the one created in the image of God; a person of great value and unique talents and one who has a beautiful and bright future.
This is a very interesting read and a topic I have often struggled with ... balancing being real and genuine, when there are things that are not always appropriate for just anyone to know about. Eg: We have very recently encountered a very difficult and painful situation with our son. Someone asked us, "How are your kids doing?" I am not at liberty to share the situation, nor would I just tell anyone except perhaps a very close and trustworthy friend. So I am forced to come up with a fake and less than fully truthful answer.
ReplyDeleteAnother example: Years ago my husband was in a very small group Bible study with 2 other men. He shared a deeply personal struggle with them. Years later one of the men betrayed my husband's trust and blabbed that confidence around to others in the church in order to discredit my husband. My husband is a gracious and forgiving man, even though forgiveness for this action was never sought. But stuff like that is so hurtful. I think the only one I can be completely and fully open and honest with is the Lord himself, since he already knows it all anyways. But he needs me to be honest with myself at the very least, and that's when healing and restoration can start.
Hi Carmen, I agree with you. We have to be cautious and cannot just randomly trust everyone with private information. It is always sad to hear that others have betrayed a trust, but the reality is that we must also be vulnerable for without it we do not have genuine intimacy.Starting with being honest with the Lord and then following his leading to know who or when to share other things. Thank you for sharing...that's kind of like taking a mask off in and of itself! God bless you!
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