“‘These people honor me with their lips, – but their hearts are far from me.'” Matthew 15:8
It fascinates me considering the earnest faces of people while doing the singing bit in church services. I know, I do it myself. I close my lift my hands and reflecting my emotional investment in the song, my face will either contort in agony or open out in ecstasy.
I enjoy people watching and seeing the range of gestures people give. Like myself, I’m sure the people in that moment are sincere. At worst it’s a well conditioned response to such settings.
What’s interesting is how people behave afterwards. After shedding tears when singing a song about the love of God, they can respond dismissively to a brother or sister in Christ whose lonely. They could get all excited singing Jesus is the Answer and spend the rest of the week never bothering to share that good news with anyone.
Yet if a church tradition is not observed, if the offering isn’t collected before the sermon; if there’s no altar call at the end; if the preacher wasn’t wearing a tie; if the sister wasn’t wearing the right thing. Well then it’s an issue. Then we have a problem.
Jesus pulled no punches where this was concerned. Majoring on minors while lives were being lost and the good news was not declared was proof positive that the so called religious experts messed up big time.
Worse still, this contradictory behaviour indicated a sorry state of affairs in the hearts of those who perpetuated such nonsense.
It remains a sober warning to us not to get caught up in the hypocrisy that launched Jesus in many a tirade against them.
We reflect where our heart is focused. Holding God’s Kingdom as supreme in everything helps us put things in their proper perspective.
It may also help us avoid hypocrisy.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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