“Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—‘playactors’ I call them—treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.” (Matthew 6:1-4 The Message Bible)
A variety of possible titles paraded through my mind as I pondered about an illustration used by my son as he instructed the Adult Sunday School class this past Sunday. After reviewing some good options, I opted to use the title above because of this young, growing young preacher’s true-story analogy, which was designed to make a point, one I will get explain in the next paragraph.
Explanation: His goal was to help us understand and undermine hypocrisy and undercut any forms of religiosity that were tainted with insincerity. Pastor, my son, he started out with these words, “About fifteen years ago, my Pastor (Dad) covered the cost of a trip for first Lady (Mom), my wife, and myself to go to Los Angeles, California.” Silently, since I have not worked a full-time secular job since 2011, jokingly I thought to myself, “That must have been when Daddy had a job.” For today, there are no bonuses being received these days by yours truly, from any secular employer because the company had a great year. No, there is no financial means to underwrite such a trip. Incidentally, I stayed home while they enjoyed a vacation and visit with our California crew. Now that you understand the backstory, let me get back to the illustration and the point.
My son described how on their gifted California trip, they visited Universal Studios and toured some of the movie sets. The one that stood out was the New York City Street set. He shared form his experience that when you are on the outside of the set, you really feel like you are in New York. It seems real. However, he pointed out when you go inside, there are just wooden walls. The external façade of being in New York quickly fades once you get in the interior. The inside was nothing like the outside. Keep reading!
The point he was illustrating was that we, Christians, are not to let our religiosity or any of our religious behaviors as it pertains to being a godly people, merely be an external show, not just something to be seen on the outside. He skillfully reinforced that what people see on the outside should come from the inside. Furthermore, he added that everything we do for the Christ’s sake should be because of our heart resonates and really favor the things of God. (An “Amen” goes right here!) Pastor pointed out, while no Christian is perfect, we should continue to strive to be ye perfect, continue reaching for perfection and achieving excellence, and that we should always find ourselves making perfect progress. In his own words, he elaborated a truth. That being, that In this life we will have our failings. However, that does not make us a failure or a fake, and not a hypocrite. My son went on to say that we should always let our new, internal being be reflected in our outside behaviors, out of church activities of all sorts, and by outstanding acts of “good religion.”
You know what my Tee-Shirt says, “I’m a writer. Be cautious of what you say or do. I might just write a story about you.” Well, that is what I have done this morning, but I hope it causes you and every other reader, as well as me, the writer, to avoid hypocrisy, and showtime religiosity. Think on these things and have the best of this day, called Tuesday! Be blessed!
“When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity, but it won’t make you a saint. If you ‘go into training’ inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn’t require attention-getting devices. He won’t overlook what you are doing; he’ll reward you well.” (Matthew 6:16-18 The Message Bible)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King