8/29/2021 - A Matter of the Heart
By definition, a hypocrite is someone who claims to have some sort of core belief or moral code, but who's own behavior contradicts those beliefs. Think of an environmentalist who litters; a pulmonologist who chain smokes; a dietician whose chases a five course meal with death by chocolate cake and Irish coffee. Hypocrites are especially irritating when they seek to impose their moral code on you, but don't practice it themselves.
Jesus tells us that there will invariably be hypocrites in the church. Some will worship every Sunday, but not combine it with faith or practice Christianity. Others will join to secure a discount on tuition. Others will follow spouses, children or grandchildren into the church to make family happy, but not make God happy. Their outward behavior looks good, but they don't have faith. Jesus sized up the emptiness of those faithless hypocrites this way, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" (Isaiah 29:13).
Truths like these may cause us to sneak glances around the chapel to figure out who might be the hypocrite in pews around us. We'll never know, God says, because only he can read the heart. Rather than worrying about the hypocrisy in our neighbor's heart, it is far better to identify the hypocrisy in our own hearts. I can't apologize for my neighbor, but I can listen to God's rebuke of my own faithlessness and humbly repent of it.
The Bible has an antidote for hypocrisy. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). God welcomes the heart of faith that humbly confesses its complete sinfulness, and completely trusts Jesus' forgiveness.
God bless your worship. READINGS:
First reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 - Obeying God attracts a crowd
Second reading: Romans 9:30-10:4 - Righteousness through faith.
Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14,15, 21-23 - Man's traditions versus God's commands
Sermon text: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 Sermon theme: “What Makes the Christian's Life Attractive?”
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