Listen to Thought For The Day on BBC Radio Ulster.
There’s one group of people who really get me bothered. Hypocrites!
Hypocrites are people who say one thing but do another:- “play-actors”.
A while ago I was at a favorite location. Dunseverick. A beautiful secluded spot located on the North Antrim coast.
There, along with my family, we were happily splashing about in a sheltered inlet, gently basking in the sea and sunshine, when all of a sudden the peace and quiet was rudely interrupted by a dirty great jet ski, creating unpleasant waves and high decibels, disturbing the beauty and serenity of this tranqil cove!
An enormous smelly, brash, filthy, dangerous and expensive contamination that quite frankly ought to be banned from the face of the earth!
I was about to give off bucket-loads to my kids about this insensitive capitalist disturbing an ordinary man’s tranquility, when the owner of the craft took off his helmet, looked over and shouted ‘Hi Frank… long time no see! Would you like a go on the jet ski!”
‘I’d love to” I replied and before I knew it, off I was on the back of this noisy, polluting thrill machine!
Hypocrisy! There’s nothing more deplorable than people who say one thing and then end up doing the very thing they utterly despise… and here I am, joining their ranks!
The Lord Jesus had something potent to say about duplicitous humbug.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the huge plank sticking out of your own? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
I’m reminded of Timothy Keller’s sobering insight that indwelling sin guarantees that none of us, however principled, are ever as pure as our beliefs should lead us to be.
There is however a disciple of the Lord Jesus mentioned in John’s Gospel called Nathaniel. There he is described as a person ‘in whom there was no guile.’ I love that. I think I want to be less like hypocritical me and more like transparent, guileless Nathaniel.
Honest, pure, and reflecting more perfectly the image of his master Christ Jesus.
Good morning!