Thoughts for another day

March 14, 2007

Today's verse: Mt. 23:27. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

At a Retreat, a preacher said, ‘a Christian is one who is the same at Church, at home, in the market and place of work. If he is different in different places, he is a hypocrite. And hypocrisy has its downfall.’ How real and powerful these words are. How true in everyday life! In introspection, don’t we find our personalities waver according to the place we are at? We are so good when it comes to others but at our own homes and offices, we are like hooligans. We have no patience inside, but outside we are patience personified. We have no money to spare when the kids ask, but at a neighbor’s place our generosity is exalted. We have nothing to say to our family members but to those people over there we can’t stop talking.

We have no time to work in our homes and are lazy in our offices, but in my neighbor Mrs. David’s home, we have all the time to help…and so it goes on. And how pleased we are when Mrs. David says, ‘What a kind man.’ Besides, when she adds, ‘wish I had a husband like you’, my God! the heart leaps within and we go back and tell our wives, ‘see what Mrs. David said today and you are always complaining!!!’ What hypocrites we all are, me included. We want to look good outside but inside we don’t mind if we are like animals. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. My friend, no matter what you are on the inside, God knows you. We can whitewash the tombs of our minds and nature and adorn them with garlands and rich festoons, but God can see the filth within.

In today’s verse, we see Jesus make a scathing indictment of hypocrites. He doesn’t mince words when he strikes the egos of those who put on facades and mind you, He will do the same with us. See my friend, is there any need to look good elsewhere but in our own backyards be like filth. Think deeply and you’ll find your answer. It is better to be loved at home where we can create the atmosphere of heaven, than be praised by all and sundry during the day and come back and create hell at home, where your people will dread your footfalls.

What is the use of piety if my goodness is seen only in the church? What is the use if we strive to keep friends and neighbors happy but the wife goes and cries on somebody else’s shoulder and the children have dry tears in their eyes and dread in their hearts? Let’s take Jesus’ message rather seriously and look towards being what we are everywhere. And if we are bad, so what? Isn’t Jesus there to change us?