TAKING OFF THE MASK OF HYPOCRISY
Matthew 7:1-5
Rev. Paul Wrightman 1/8/23
WE CONTINUE OUR SERMON SERIES
ON JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
JUST AS WE CAN EXTRAPOLATE FROM THE GOSPEL RECORDS
OF WHAT JESUS DID IN THE PAST TO GIVE US A STRONG INDICATION
OF WHAT JESUS WOULD DO IN THE PRESENT AND FUTURE,
WE CAN EXTRAPOLATE FROM THE GOSPEL RECORDS
OF THE QUESTIONS THAT JESUS ASKED IN THE PAST
TO GIVE US A STRONG INDICATION
OF WHAT JESUS WOULD ASK IN THE PRESENT AND FUTURE.
ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT JESUS AS TEACHER
IS THAT HE DOESN'T JUST ASK QUESTIONS.
IN HIS TEACHINGS, PARABLES,
AND THE WAY HE LIVES AND GIVES HIS LIFE,
JESUS ANSWERS ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT HE POSES.
THE QUESTION IS LIKE THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, SO TO SPEAK.
IT'S THERE TO GET US TO LISTEN-UP, PAY ATTENTION.
THE ANSWER IS LIKE THE NINE-TENTHS OF THE ICEBERG
HIDDEN UNDER WATER.
JESUS ASKS A QUESTION IN ORDER TO SPARK IN US A SEARCH
FOR THE ANSWER IN THE PATTERN OF HIS TEACHINGS
AND IN THE PATTERN OF HIS LIFE.
THE QUESTION IN TODAY’S TEXT IS:
WHY DO YOU SEE THE SPECK IN YOUR NEIGHBOR’S EYE,
BUT DO NOT NOTICE THE LOG IN YOUR OWN EYE?
(Matthew 7:3)
IT COMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER JESUS' TEACHING:
DO NOT JUDGE, SO THAT YOU MAY NOT BE JUDGED.
FOR WITH THE JUDGMENT YOU MAKE YOU WILL BE JUDGED,
AND THE MEASURE YOU GIVE WILL BE THE MEASURE YOU GET.
(Matthew 7:1-2)
JESUS HERE IS NOT SPEAKING ABOUT THE COMMONSENSE,
EVERYDAY EVALUATIONS THAT WE ALL HAVE TO MAKE,
SOMETIMES MANY TIMES IN ANY GIVEN DAY.
HE IS SPEAKING ABOUT JUDGMENT
IN THE SENSE OF CONDEMNATION,
MEANING TO DEFINITIVELY WRITE-OFF SOMEONE.
THE WHOLE SERMON ON THE MOUNT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD
AS JESUS' CONCLUSIVE TEACHING ABOUT
HOW HE EXPECTS HIS DISCIPLES TO THINK, DO, AND BE
IN ORDER TO BE OUTPOSTS OF GOD'S KINGDOM
AND GOD'S VALUES HERE ON EARTH.
JESUS CLEARLY TEACHES THAT GOD'S KINGDOM
OF COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS, JUSTICE, PEACE, AND LOVE
CAN ONLY COME INTO BEING BY GOD'S FOLLOWERS
LIVING OUT IN THEIR OWN LIVES GOD'S OWN VALUES.
IN THE CONTEXT OF TODAY'S SCRIPTURE LESSON
ABOUT NOT CONDEMNING,
JESUS WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE NOT TO CONDEMN
BECAUSE GOD DOESN'T CONDEMN.
JESUS' WELL-KNOWN QUESTION,
WHY DO YOU LOOK AT THE SPECK OF SAWDUST
IN SOMEONE ELSE'S EYE
AND PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE PLANK IN YOUR OWN EYE?
IS MEANT TO ILLUSTRATE HOW JESUS HIMSELF SEES
THE PROCESS OF JUDGMENT AS CONDEMNATION TAKING PLACE.
MANY PSYCHOLOGISTS AND PSYCHIATRISTS,
AS WELL AS SCRIPTURE SCHOLARS AND THEOLOGIANS,
HAVE COMMENTED ON HOW JESUS' QUESTION
EMBODIES A VERY SOPHISTICATED UNDERSTANDING
OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONCEPT OF PROJECTION.
PROJECTION IS WHEN WE ARE HYPER-SENSITIVE
TO A NEGATIVE QUALITY IN SOMEONE ELSE
BECAUSE WE ARE HIGHLY ENDOWED WITH
THIS VERY SAME NEGATIVE QUALITY IN OURSELVES.
BUT WE REFUSE TO SEE THIS NEGATIVE QUALITY IN OURSELVES.
THE REFUSAL TO SEE THE NEGATIVE QUALITY IN OURSELVES, CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY,
PROMPTS US TO PROJECT THIS SAME NEGATIVE QUALITY
ONTO OTHERS.
JESUS, BEING THE CONSUMMATE PSYCHOLOGIST THAT HE WAS,
AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS,
NOT ONLY BEAUTIFULLY CAPTURES THE WAY
THAT PROJECTION WORKS,
HE DOES SO IN A BRILLIANT FLASH OF HUMOR,
WHICH HELPS HIS HEARERS TO TAKE HIS MESSAGE IN
AND APPLY IT TO THEMSELVES.
WHO OF US CANNOT PERSONALLY CONNECT WITH JESUS' QUESTION,
AND IN CONNECTING WITH IT, SEE OURSELVES AS ENGAGED
IN PRECISELY THE SAME KIND OF BEHAVIOR THAT JESUS
IS HUMOROUSLY EXPOSING?
JESUS ESSENTIALLY REPEATS THE SAME QUESTION FOR EMPHASIS,
HOW CAN YOU SAY, 'LET ME TAKE THE SPECK OUT OF YOUR EYE,'
WHEN ALL THE TIME THERE IS A PLANK IN YOUR EYE?',
(Matthew 7:4)
THEN QUICKLY MOVES ON TO USE A VERY SPECIFIC GREEK WORD
TO DESCRIBE A PERSON WHO ACTS IN THIS WAY:
YOU HYPOCRITE…
INCIDENTIALLY, BY USING THIS WORD FROM THE REALM
OF GREEK THEATER, JESUS DEMONSTRATES THAT HE IS NO
ILLITERATE COUNTRY BUMPKIN, AS SOME SCHOLARS HAVE ARGUED,
BUT THAT HIS INTELLECT IS WIDE AS WELL AS DEEP.
IN THE WORLD OF GREEK THEATER,
HYPOCRITE WAS THE NAME OF AN ACTOR
WHO WORE A MASK TO EXPRESS HIMSELF.
THE ACTOR WAS CONCEALED BEHIND THE MASK,
GIVING RISE TO THE NOTION OF A HYPOCRITE
BEING A PERSON WITH TWO FACES, SO TO SPEAK,
THE OUTWARD, PUBLIC MASK WHICH SAID ONE THING,
AND THE ACTUAL FACE OF THE ACTUAL PERSON,
WHICH OFTEN SAID SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT.
YOU CAN SEE HOW ALL THIS CULTURAL HISTORY IS CONTAINED
IN THE MODERN DEFINITION OF A HYPOCRITE AS
"A PERSON WHO PRETENDS TO BE WHAT HE OR SHE IS NOT;
SPECIFICALLY, ONE WHO PRETENDS TO BE PIOUS, VIRTUOUS, ETC.
WITHOUT REALLY BEING SO."
(Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition, p. 717)
LET'S LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE OF HYPOCRISY-IN-ACTION.
IT COMES TO US FROM THE INTERVARSITY PRESS BOOK
RECONCILIATION BLUES BY ED GILBREATH, PUBLISHED IN 2006.
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT EVANGELICAL PUBLISHER INTERVARSITY
WAS AND IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF TAKING A STAND AGAINST
RACISM AND WHITE SUPREMACY.
THE AUTHOR IS A BLACK CHRISTIAN:
"IT WAS MY THIRD YEAR WITH THE MINISTRY.
I GOT A CALL FROM A PROMINENT WHITE CHRISTIAN LEADER
ASKING ME TO GO TO LUNCH WITH HIM.
AS WE'RE SITTING DOWN TO EAT,
ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS GUY STARTED CRYING.
HE EXPLAINED THAT GOD HAD BLESSED HIM --
HIS CHILDREN WERE HEALTHY,
HE WAS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
BUT, HE SAID,
'I'VE HAD A HARD TIME SLEEPING THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.'
AND I WAS THINKLING TO MYSELF,
'WHY IS HE TELLING ME THIS? I'M NOT A THERAPIST.'
'I JUST CAME BACK FROM AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY,' THE MAN TOLD ME.
'A BUNCH OF US GOT TOGETHER
TO DISCUSS RECONCILIATION [BETWEEN THE RACES]
AND CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY.
USUALLY, WHEN BLACK LEADERS COME INTO THE MEETING,
WE MAKE THEM FEEL RIGHT AT HOME
AND LET THEM BE PART OF THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.
BUT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU,
THE DECISIONS ARE MADE BEFORE YOUR LEADERS EVER GET THERE.
I'M USED TO HEARING THE JOKES
AND THE USE OF THE N-WORD.
BUT THIS TIME, WHEN THE JOKES WERE GOING ON
AND PEOPLE WERE SAYING THINGS,
IT DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT TO ME.'
'HOW CAN I GET OVER THIS?' THE LEADER ASKED ME, SOBBING.
'HOW CAN WE BE FRIENDS?'
I WAS SILENT FOR A MOMENT THEN ASKED HIM,
'DO YOU LIKE FOOTBALL?'
HE SEEMED A LITTLE PUZZLED, BUT HE SAID YES.
'I DO, TOO," I TOLD HIM.
'I USED TO COACH HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE BALL,
AND I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO PLAY PRO.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE DO:
I NEED TO GET TO KNOW YOU,
AND YOU NEED TO GET TO KNOW ME.
WHY DON'T YOU COME OVER TO MY HOUSE?'
I WAS THE ONLY BLACK IN MY SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD
AT THE TIME.
I SAID, 'BRING YOUR WIFE AND MEET MY WIFE,
AND WE'LL JUST SIT AND TALK AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
I'LL BARBECUE SOME STEAKS, AND LET'S START THERE.'
HE SAID, 'YOU WANT ME TO COME TO YOUR HOUSE?'
'YES,' I SAID.
'IF YOU WANT ME TO SIT HERE AND CLEAR YOUR CONSCIENCE
FOR ALL THE CRAP YOU DID, I CAN'T DO THAT.
FRIENDSHIP IS NOT CHEAP.
IT TAKES TIME AND COMMITMENT.'
I GAVE HIM MY HOME PHONE NUMBER
AND TOLD HIM TO GIVE ME A CALL.'
I NEVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN."
(END QUOTE)
I CHOSE THIS PARTICULAR STORY TO ILLUSTRATE
THE DYNAMICS OF HYPOCRISY
BECAUSE IT DEALS WITH A TOPIC OF REAL CONSEQUENCE,
NAMELY RACISM,
AND IT DEALS WITH THIS CONSEQUENTIAL TOPIC
IN AN IN-DEPTH WAY.
THE AUTHOR DOESN'T OFFER THE CHEAP GRACE
OF OFFERING THE WHITE MINISTER A CASUAL MIRAGE
OF RECONCILIATION
(SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF "BUT WE ARE ALREADY FRIENDS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A GOOD HEART AND SOMEDAY IT WILL
COME THROUGH FOR YOU")
BUT OFFERS THE WHITE MINISTER THE POSSIBILITY
OF REAL RECONCILIATION BY BECOMING REAL FRIENDS,
AND BECOMING REAL FRIENDS, LIKE THE AUTHOR SAYS,
"TAKES TIME AND COMMITMENT."
THE SAD LAST LINE, "I NEVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN,"
REVEALS THE HYPOCRISY
OF THIS PARTICULAR WHITE CHRISTIAN LEADER,
AND ALSO, I MIGHT ADD, THE FORBEARANCE OF
THIS PARTICULAR BLACK CHRISTIAN LEADER
IN NOT REVEALING HIS NAME.
THE CRYING AND THE SOBBING,
THE PLAINTIVE CRY OF "HOW CAN I GET OVER THIS?
HOW CAN WE BE FRIENDS?"
IS REVEALIED TO BE NOT MUCH MORE THAN A MASK
BEHIND WHICH THIS STILL-VERY-MUCH-RACIST GUY IS HIDING.
THE MASK SAYS ONE THING,
HIS REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THE BLACK PASTOR'S
INVITATION TO DINNER, QUITE ANOTHER.
THE PART OF WEBSTER'S DEFINITION OF HYPOCRITE
THAT REALLY GOT TO ME WAS THE PART ABOUT PRETENDING:
"HYPOCRITE: A PERSON WHO PRETENDS TO BE
WHAT HE OR SHE IS NOT…"
AND WHAT FLOORED ME ABOUT PUTTING PRETENDING
AT THE HEART OF THE DEFINITION
OF "HYPOCRITE" AND "HYPOCRISY"
IS THE FACT THAT PRETENDING, BY ITS VERY NATURE,
DOES NOT HAVE TO BE CONSCIOUS,
IT CAN BE UNCONSCIOUS AS WELL.
AND THIS IS THE PART OF HYPOCRISY
THAT IS REALLY SCARY FOR ME:
OFTEN ONE IS NOT EVEN AWARE THAT ONE IS BEING HYPOCRITICAL
BECAUSE ONE IS NOT EVEN AWARE THAT ONE IS PRETENDING.
TO ECHO OUR EXAMPLE,
ONE THINKS THAT ONE IS ABOVE RACISM
BECAUSE ONE IS ABLE AT TIMES TO ENTERTAIN
ACCEPTING AND AFFIRMING THOUGHTS ABOUT SOMEONE
OF A DIFFERENT RACE THAN ONE'S OWN.
BUT WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE --
WHEN ONE'S BLUFF IS CALLED
AND THAT PERSON OF ANOTHER RACE
INVITES ONE TO BECOME A REAL, CONCRETE, DEFINITE FRIEND --
THE THOUGHTS ARE REVEALED FOR WHAT THEY ARE --
NOTHING MORE THAN EMPTY THOUGHTS.
THE PERSON IS PRETENDING TO BE ABOVE RACISM
WHEN IN REALITY THEY ARE NOT.
THIS BASIC DEFINITION OF HYPOCRISY AS PRETENDING
DESCRIBES SO MUCH OF WHAT IS HAPPENING
IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY:
POLITICIANS ON EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT
CLAIMING TO CARE ABOUT THE "AVERAGE CITIZEN"
WHEN IN REALITY THEIR POLICY DECISIONS
REVEAL THAT THEY COULD CARE LESS ABOUT OTHERS,
AND THAT THEIR PRIMARY COMMITMENT GOES NO FURTHER
THAN THEIR OWN ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE
AND REMAINING IN OFFICE AND IN POWER.
AT THIS POINT IT WOULD BE EASY TO GO OFF ON A DIATRIBE
AGAINST THE RAMPANT POLITICAL HYPOCRISY
PRESENT IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY.
AFTER ALL, JESUS HIMSELF TOOK ON THE POLITICAL HYPOCRISY
OF JERUSALEM AND ROME.
BUT JESUS ALSO TOOK ON THE PERSONAL HYPOCRISY
WHICH IS PRESENT IN EACH OF OUR LIVES.
ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT TODAY'S QUESTION,
WHY DO YOU LOOK AT THE SPECK OF SAWDUST
IN SOMEONE'S ELSE'S EYE
AND PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE PLANK IN YOUR OWN EYE?
IS TO FOCUS, NOT ON THE SAWDUST AND THE PLANK,
BUT TO FOCUS ON THE WHY.
IN OTHER WORDS, MAYBE JESUS IS CONCERNED NOT SO MUCH
ABOUT THE SAWDUST AND THE PLANK
BUT ABOUT WHY WE HAVE SUCH AN IN-BUILT NEED
TO CONCENTRATE ON THE FAULTS OF OTHERS
WHILE OVERLOOKING THE SAME FAULTS IN OURSELVES.
MAYBE JESUS IS CHALLENGING US TO THINK DEEPLY
ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ASPECT OF OUR BROKEN HUMAN NATURE,
IN THE HOPE THAT FACING WHAT IS BROKEN IN OURSELVES
IS THE NECESSARY FIRST STEP
TO OUR HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION.
ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE'S UNDERSTANDING
OF HUMAN ORIGINS AND HUMAN NATURE,
THE TWIN PHENOMENA OF HYPOCRISY AND PROJECTION
APPEARED VERY EARLY ON THE SCENE.
IN IT'S MYTHOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF HUMAN ORIGINS,
SCRIPTURE MAKES THE POINT THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER
OUR HUMAN ANCESTORS CHOSE THEIR OWN INDEPENDENCE
OVER INTER-DEPENDENCE WITH GOD,
THE DESTRUCTIVE REALITIES OF HYPOCRISY AND PROJECTION
COME INTO PLAY.
AFTER EATING THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT --
SYMBOL OF INDEPENDENCE OVER RELATIONSHIP --
GOD ASKS ADAM WHAT HE HAS DONE.
HE IMMEDIATELY BLAMES EVE --
HYPOCRISY AND PROJECTION IN ACTION!
AND WHEN GOD ASKS EVE WHAT SHE HAS DONE,
SHE IMMEDIATELY BLAMES THE SNAKE --
MORE HYPOCRISY AND PROJECTION IN ACTION.
IF JESUS IS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WHY
RATHER THAN ABOUT THE SAWDUST AND THE PLANK,
HIS QUESTION IS ACTUALLY AN INVITATION --
A PERSONAL INVITATION TO EACH OF US --
FOR US TO REFLECT ON THE SOURCE
OF OUR OWN PROJECTION AND HYPOCRISY.
THE SOURCE, ACCORDING TO JESUS,
IS OUR CHOOSING AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE
OVER RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND OTHERS.
IF THIS IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM,
THE SOLUTION IS TO RETURN TO THE WAY WE WERE
BEFORE CHOOSING AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE,
BEFORE PROJECTION AND HYPOCRISY GOT THE BEST OF US.
IN FACT, MANY WOULD SAY THAT THIS IS THE MAIN REASON
THAT JESUS CAME TO US IN THE FIRST PLACE --
TO SHOW US THE WAY BACK TO GOD.
IN THIS CONTEXT OF RELEARNING WHAT IT MEANS
TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND OTHERS,
THE COMMUNITY OF THE CHURCH BECOMES,
NOT SO MUCH A COMMUNITY OF THOSE WHO HAVE
THEMSELVES ALREADY FOUND GOD,
BUT THE COMMUNITY OF THOSE
INTENT ON BEING FOUND BY GOD.
AND JESUS WOULD SAY THAT THE BEST WAY TO BE FOUND BY GOD
WOULD BE TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY THAT IS
DEEPLY COMMITTED TO LEARNING AND RELEARNING
THE WAYS OF GOD.
JIM CORLEY TELLS OF A CONVERSATION HE HAD
WITH A FRIEND NAMED ALEX WHO ATTENDED HIS CHURCH.
ALEX WAS STRUGGLING OVER HIS MANY FAILURES
TO LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE THE WAY HE KNEW HE SHOULD.
ONE DAY THEY MET AT THE CAR DEALERSHIP WHERE ALEX WORKED.
CORLEY WRITES:
"THAT DAY IN HIS OFFICE ALEX GOT STRAIGHT TO THE POINT.
'JIM, I FEEL LIKE A HYPOCRITE EVERY TIME I GO TO CHURCH
BECAUSE I FAIL TO LIVE FOR CHRIST SO OFTEN.'
'ALEX, WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS PART OF THE DEALERSHIP?' I ASKED,
NODDING TO THE AREA OUTSIDE HIS CUBICLE.
'YOU MEAN THE SHOWROOM?'
I SMILED. 'YES. AND WHAT'S BEHIND THE SHOWROOM,
PAST THE PARTS COUNTER?'
'THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT,' ALEX SAID CONFIDENTLY.
'WHAT IF I TOLD YOU I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING MY CAR
TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH?'
'THAT WOULD BE CRAZY!
THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF SERVICE DEPARTMENTS --
TO FIX CARS THAT AREN'T RUNNING RIGHT.'
'YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT,' I REPLIED.
'NOW, LET'S GET BACK TO OUR INITIAL CONVERSATION.
INSTEAD OF THINKING OF CHURCH AS A SHOWROOM
WHERE IMAGE IS EVERYTHING,
START THINKING OF IT AS GOD'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT.
HELPING PEOPLE GET BACK IN RUNNING ORDER WITH GOD
IS WHAT THE CHURCH IS ALL ABOUT.'
(END QUOTE)
IN CONCLUSION, MAY GOD HELP US HERE AT COMMUNITY CHURCH
MAY GOD HELP US HERE AT COMMUNITY CHURCH
TO BECOME LESS AND LESS LIKE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT
IN AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING, WHICH WE ARE NOT,
AND MORE AND MORE LIKE THE WELL-WORN, WELL-LOVED,
RELIABLE JALOPY, WITH A FANTASTIC RECORD FOR SERVICE,
WHICH WE ARE.
AMEN.