ARE WE HYPOCRITE OR ARE WE ACCUSERS?

The first is a very difficult question. If I was under oath I would probably hesitate because yes, sometimes we are hypocrite. . or we have to be. I think that is a form of lying, though, and I do not like to lie. I do not like it because I know that the results are chaotic and will always be worse in every sense. No matter how bad, the truth is always the best. Yet, in order to save our lives or good appearance we have to, sometimes, be a little hypocrite. I remember a radio program, a comedy when I was a child, about a lady who spoke to her next door neighbor in a friendly way, agreeing to everything she said until her daughter appeared saying the truth, innocently, about how much her mother really despised her for her behavior, thus embarrassing the mother. Sometimes we do not say the truth to not become offensive. What is worse? Is it one for not wanting to act as felt to not offend or the other for making one feel bad in front of an innocent child? We can’t be fighting with everyone who does not think or act like we do. So, on the name of “polite” we are a little hypocrite.

I also remember that my 10^th grade “history” teacher in the country I fled from was fully in favor of the repressive communist government which was completely opposed to my Christian family beliefs; so in order to get good grades I memorized her teachings and repeated them in the exams. I was being a hypocrite for we thought she was wrong, but that’s the way many good people live in that country, with a double standard except the brave ones who dare to oppose the tyranny.

In any case we can have a good justification to act defensively, but it’s still wrong. We should not use a bad conduct as an example to teach our children if we are not going to behave accordingly, and in the case of the school it might be better to say what we feel even though we get an F or get rejected as a good professional candidate by getting a bad “political” reputation which is the most important issue in those leftists governments. Honesty is a better quality. Of course, this I have learned with time and good falls on the way that have no return for me, but perhaps for others who can read me. It is bad to be a hypocrite, but sometimes, the one who accuses us of it, unless it is our own conscience, is trying to feel good by doing it. The good thing is that God knows it all and He will surely act accordingly. Would not God find this out?, for He knows the secrets of the heart. (Psalm 44.21).

Jesus was certainly NOT a hypocrite for He never sinned, but He did say what He must and that’s why they killed him. “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? (Matthew 23.33) He did criticize the ones who thought they were right but paid to make people lie so they could look good in front of the ones in power. Remember when they decided to lie about Jesus’ resurrection? They gave a large sum of money to the soldiers and said, “You are to say. . .” (Matthew 28. 12-15)

Some people accuse others in order to move away their responsibility and some others criticize them for doing it. Who’s right and who’s wrong? I’ve heard “Christians” criticize “accusers” of being wrong and don’t consider, for instance, the accusations of John the Baptist against the king who beheaded him; and the same Jesus criticized certain people: Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!, for you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. (Matthew 23.27) He was saying the truth. He had the authority, though people did not believe it. Others think they have it, given by a position, an organization, a robe, a party affiliation, but the only man appointed by God is Jesus. For there is one God and one mediator ONLY between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 2.5)

The Bible tells us we should look at the log in our eyes before we see the speck in our brother’s (Matthew 7. 1-5), but only God knows who has the speck and who has the log. I hope the log carrier realizes it and reconsiders before the King says: “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25.40)