Who Are the Hypocrites?

Okay, it's been a while.  Sorry.  I'm going to try to do better.  It's not like I haven't been writing; it's just that I haven't been posting.  These things take time, and I could make all kinds of excuses - many of which sound pretty good to me.  But I won't.  Reality:  I've been lazy.  So I'm going to work on that, by God's grace.  So, here goes...

“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
    we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” - Matthew 11:16-19

Recently, after preaching the funeral for a very dear relative, during which I attempted to share the wonderful grace of God through the gospel of Christ, I was confronted by another relative who pointedly remarked: "You're not as good as you think you are!" Wow!  If he only knew how good I think I'm NOT!  Guess he sort of missed the point of my sermon.  Could be I didn't make it clear enough.  On the other hand, maybe it was too clear...

It seems the tendency of those who insist on their own goodness to attempt to justify their independence of Christ's authority by pointing to what they perceive as the inconsistencies or hypocrisy of Christians.  In reality, so long as these folk insist on setting their own standards for what constitutes "holy" behavior, those who profess Christ will never measure up, thus giving the skeptics ample excuse (in their own minds) to persist in directing their own lives as they see fit.

Independent, self-directed people routinely want to dictate the standards for righteousness not only to those who are "religious" but to God Himself, certain that He will in no way condemn them, since they are living so much "better" than those hypocritical "religious" people - or so they think.  The reality is, these folk will latch onto any excuse to avoid coming to Christ in humble repentance, admitting their own sin and sinfulness, and desperate need of a Savior.

We who follow Jesus must not make the mistake of trying to satisfy such people by "dancing to their tune."  They are in fact the true hypocrites, insisting on their own righteousness while holding the gospel at arm's distance.  We have but one Judge to satisfy, and He receives the humble and genuinely penitent by laying down His life for them, and covering them with His own righteousness - which is more than enough.