Hypocrites

Luke 10:15-17  Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” As he said this, all his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.


That word so often pointed at people in the church. I've heard so many young people say that word in relation to people they know in the church, but I want to just clear something up. They tell me that the church is full of people who don't live by what the church proclaims. I would say that is true. As humans we struggle to live our highest ideal, and we can get caught with our words and actions not matching. As a priest I used to wonder how to change this impression of the church, but when I realizes that they were right I had to think about the issue again. It's clear to me that we do not have an intention to act contrary to our proclaimed beliefs. We are not hypocrites by plan but by weakness.


I have ended up now confronting those words about the church when I hear them. I point out that the rest of the world as as much hypocrites as those in the church. All of us humans fail at matching our words and actions. I don't get a single argument when I make that statement. I then talk of how many in the church do improve at keeping their highest ideals as time goes on and they allow God to help them achieve  God's ideals. So let's admit that we are all hypocrites in one way or another and face our need to make our words and actions match. And if your one of my church folks let the Holy Spirit help you reach those highest of ideals.