Posts Tagged ‘Practicing what we preach; recognizing hypocrisy’

Recognizing Hypocrisy

Thursday, September 17th, 2015

Thursday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time

1 Tim 4: 12-16; Luke 7: 36-50

Dc. Larry Brockman

Hypocrisy!  The world of today is filled with hypocrites- people who say one thing but act another way.  Both of our readings today expose hypocrisy for what it is

In the first reading, Timothy, who is a young disciple of St. Paul, writes this letter because some of the folks he evangelized have been influenced by older and self-proclaimed “wiser” teachers.  These older teachers were teaching based on the old law, the Mosaic Law, in the tradition of the Pharisees.  Their emphasis was on meeting the letter of the law.  And their expertise was knowledge of its details.  But Timothy had left the community with the Christian legacy of a new law.  He says it about as well as one can say it.  “Set an example for those who believe in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.”  Yes indeed, Timothy, not the elders, had it right.  Because the thing that speaks loudest is the way the teacher behaves, not what he says.

There is a similar message in the Gospel.  The Pharisees, Simon in today’s Gospel story included, held themselves above the rest of mankind because they were experts in keeping the letter of the Mosaic Law.  But they didn’t understand what real conversion of heart was.  They didn’t recognize that real conversion was not the ever increasing ability to conform in external behavior; but rather converting in internal attitude, by making a basic change in their behavior which we call repentance.

You see, the sinful woman in the Gospel repented of her sinfulness by faith in what she heard Jesus preach and by his example.  She was so uplifted by that feeling in her heart, the fact that she was forgiven and could start anew, that she was brimming full of love.  And as a consequence of her conversion of the heart, she was moved to show that love in the public display we hear about today.  It is easy to see how her Faith saved her, because she was living a new life now because she was not rejected for her sin, but rather changed by the love showed her by Jesus.

Notice that Jesus calls out the Pharisee for the way he treated him, his honored guest.  Indeed, the Pharisee was anything but cordial.  He may have been an expert knowledge of the law; but he certainly didn’t know how to apply it with “speech, conduct, love, faith and purity”.  Jesus actions and demeanor were in stark contrast to that of the Pharisees.  And so was the power of his example to convert others.

This lesson is something all of us need to learn in today’s world because all of us are constantly exposed to someone whose sinfulness we reject; but in so rejecting it, we reject, even ostracize the sinner as well.  We capture the hearts and minds of people not by beating them over the head with the law they have broken, but by “speech, conduct, love, faith and purity”.  I think that is what Pope Francis is trying to do with the changes he is making in dealing with folks who have second marriages or have had abortions.

Forgiveness, mercy, and love are God’s gifts to sinners.  All of us are sinners.  And there is room in our Church for everyone who repents of their sins and wants reconciliation.  There certainly was room in Jesus’ view for the woman in the Gospel story.

All of us have an influence on the people around us whether we realize it or not.  And all of the people around us are sinners in one way or another.  Rather than ostracize those who are sinners in an air in which we project self-righteousness, we need to woo them by “speech, conduct, love, faith and purity”.