Practicing Piety Before Others; An Abomination

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven." (Matt 6:1 NRSV)

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Luke 20:46-47)

Beware! Beware of making a show of your faith. If one has to make a show of it, then they ought to examine themselves and question whether it is really faith in God that inspires them or if it is that they are trying to inspire others with their own goodness. The latter will not instill faith. Faith comes from the Word alone who is Jesus the Christ. 

A servant of God is a servant of his people. A servant of God is not one who stands before others and says, "Look at me. See how devout I am!" A servant of God will kneel before others to help them put on their shoes and they will do this quietly without alerting the world to their good deed. 

Jesus was a wandering teacher and preacher. If he owned anything, it was the clothes on his back. He came to this world for the sake of others, not for himself, and then he told us that we too must deny ourselves if we would be his followers.

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)

False piety, the obscene showing of our own righteousness is an abomination. It has caused many to have faith in their own works. No man's works can save him. Faith alone in Christ alone will inspire us to love and serve our God and his children quietly according to the gifts that he has given us. 

Get rid of those fancy robes; quit with the pious words that seem so pious yet are self-aggrandizing. Speak and act, as Jesus did, for the sake of others not for yourself. After all, he did not have to die for himself. He died for the sake of the whole world. Then, rejoice for you have been called to take up your cross and follow him!

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Wipe The Dismal Look Off Of Your Face, Please!

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."                                                                             (Matthew 6:1, 16-18 NRSV)

The look of the dismally pious has a tendency to make me wonder who they think they are fooling. Do they not understand that when many of us see pious, dismal looking Christians we do wonder whom they are truly serving? Are they serving God or themselves? Witnessing people serving the Lord, with love, usually brings a smile to my face and joy in my heart because those who are truly serving the Lord and not doing works to get the approval of humankind or trying to win their way in to heaven are very grateful to have the opportunity to serve Him. Whether we are serving the Lord out of love for him or out of self-righteousness is usually visible on our faces; in our very demeanor.

I am not saying that you should be walking around happy, happy, happy all of the time. I am simply saying that if you never find joy in your Sunday routine of worshipping the Lord simply because it is nothing more than a routine for you; if you never find joy in helping your neighbor or visiting a sick friend in the hospital; if you never find joy in serving the Lord by serving others then there is a problem. 

Worshipping and serving the Lord is not a mere ritual that will keep you from the fires of hell. Worshipping and serving the Lord is an act of love. Because he first loved us, we love him. And, as the song goes, "They will know we are Christians by our love." (John 13:34-35)

As you follow in the footsteps of Jesus, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites; but, rejoice for in him for you have been reconciled to God our Father. Rejoice, for you who were not his children are now his children! The gates to paradise have been opened for you. 

God's Peace - Pr. J