October 28th 2012

October 28th 2012

Today's reading centers mostly on the idea of hypocrisy, so I've decided to reflect on this idea as well. To be a hypocrite, you need to say one thing and do the exact opposite. In today's readings, Jesus points out different ways the people around Him are being hypocrites. He mainly focuses on people's actions, like when he condemns the Pharisee and the lawyers. I'd like to focus not so much on the actions of people but of the thought process behind being hypocritical, because to change a behavior you need to know what causes it.

The best place to start is figuring out why people are hypocritical in the first place. The answer to this question in its simplest form is that people want to be able to do whatever they want without tarnishing their reputation or losing anyone's respect. It is crucial to have both desires present when identifying a hypocrite, because someone who does distasteful things for personal gain without denying it isn't a hypocrite, just a jerk. Think of the first two examples given in today's reading: a Pharisee and a lawyer. Both are well respected titles, and both come with a level of social responsibility, meaning that they are the people who are supposed to be setting the example for everyone else. So naturally these people need to be moral in their words and actions. When they just talk about being moral without acting accordingly is when they cross the line. It isn't just people with social responsibility who contradict their beliefs though. It is very easy for anyone to fall into hypocrisy. Think about how easy it would be to project an air of innocence and virtue while acting anything but. You could do whatever you wanted and pretend to still be virtuous as long as someone else believes you to be.

The next thing to focus on is how to stop hypocrisy. Sadly, the only people who can truly stop hypocrisy are the hypocrites themselves. You can try extremely hard, like Jesus did in today's readings, but no matter how hard you try the only person who has the power to stop being hypocritical is the person being the hypocrite. Because of this, hypocrites need these two major tools when trying to reform: honesty in actions, and honesty in one's own self-awareness. If you are acting in accordance with your beliefs, you are acting honestly and therefore not being a hypocrite. And if you know yourself well enough to see when you are being hypocritical, it becomes easier to stop. Sometimes it takes someone pointing it out to even realize what is going on. This is what Jesus does in today's readings. He points out all of the hypocrisy surrounding Him, but even He can't save people from their own hypocrisy all on His own. He can only point it out and hope that they stop and follow Him.

So this week I encourage you to reflect not only on if you're actions line up with your beliefs, but also on your beliefs themselves. To know if you're acting within your beliefs you need to be able to define them.

Have a great week, and try to stay safe during this upcoming storm!

Gina