There are words we use which in a sense describe the title of these thoughts. They are simple words we all understand, and the feeling we have as we use them often describes individuals who have deceived us and sometimes hurt us in the past. No one has any joy dealing with one who is phony, one who is a fake, one who is a fraud, one who scams.
The Greeks had a word to describe this kind of individual, and it was the word “hypocrite.” It was used to describe actors on a stage who in a performance played several characters. He wore many masks to become the multiple personalities he became in his performance. None of the masks portrayed what he really was like. He simply changes masks depending on circumstances.
Jesus often used strong language to describe the Jewish leaders. He said, “Woe to you scribes and Pharisees…” (Matt. 23:13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29). His attitude to those who use religion or religious ideas to further themselves shows the disdain He has for such. It is a sobering thought to think of what will happen in the final judgment when their masks are removed! As we live on the stages of our lives, there should never be places for masks in our dealing with others. It was through Paul’s writings that God said, “Let love be without hypocrisy” (Rom. 12:9). And He said through the writings of Peter, “Lay aside all hypocrisy” (1 Pet. 2:1).
We should not just think of “evil” individuals who wear masks to deceive and fraud helpless people like widows and other innocent people. Jesus uses this word nearly twenty times and warns us to beware of those who wear the mask. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). The mask worn by these evil men only made them appear to be “good” men. Jesus described these men in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6). They wore the masks when they stood on the street corners and prayed long prayers. They wore these masks when they marked their faces so others could see that they were fasting. They wore these masks when giving and “sounded trumpets” so everyone could see how much they gave.
Make the application of this to how we live. There is no place in hiding our true feelings when speaking—we must let our “Yes” mean “Yes” and our “No” mean “No” (Matt. 5:37). We must never let how we behave at church be different from how we act outside of worship. There is the “righteousness of faith” (a phrase used repeatedly in the Bible) and the “righteousness” of self-righteousness. Lay the masks aside—be real, be genuine, be honest, be on the outside what you are on the inside. It will make an eternal difference!
-Dan Jenkins
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