Day 195

1 Chronicles 16:37–18:17; Romans 2:1-24; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 19:8-9

IT’S CLEAR FROM our reading in Romans today that Paul did not write a letter that is nuanced or ambiguous. We got a taste for the direct tone Paul used as he spoke to his own people —and us —about hypocrisy.

Essentially, Paul said that to condemn another person for the very same questionable behavior we participate in is a bridge to nowhere. Or in Paul’s words, “Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?” (Romans 2:3).

But Paul’s objective wasn’t to condemn. It was to bring hypocrisy into the open and name it for what it was. And, in naming it, to invite us forward into freedom: “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4).

To gain context, we should be aware that Paul was talking to devout people of the Jewish faith —a faith he had learned and practiced. He wasn’t talking about things he did not understand clearly. But this reality makes this portion of the letter even more compelling, because as devout followers of Jesus, we find the same kind of hypocrisy in our own faith and lives. How many times have we caught ourselves condemning a person for the very things we have done?

“You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness,” Paul said (Romans 2:19). He then pointed out that if we’re going to teach people the truth, we ought also to be able to teach ourselves. If we’re going to condemn stealing, then we shouldn’t steal. If we’re going to condemn adultery, then we should be faithful.

Paul’s point in all of this is clear: We can’t just become experts on the Scriptures and use them as a weapon when we aren’t willing to live into them ourselves. Or as Paul put it, “You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it” (Romans 2:23).

Hypocrisy is completely unhelpful to the faith journey, and Paul made that clear. But there is a larger (and sobering) context that Paul revealed in the last verse of our reading today: “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you” (Romans 2:24).

Stereotyping is not a new phenomenon, and Paul revealed that some of its effects are rooted in hypocrisy. In Paul’s time, the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders pushed people away. But the same kinds of behavior also repel people from Jesus and make a stereotype of those who love Him. As the old proverb tells us, we must practice what we preach. We must invite the Holy Spirit to expose and name the hypocrisy in our lives so that we may rise above a stereotype and become something true.

MEDITATION:

To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.