Blind

“You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish”  Matthew 23:26

Blind – “What’s the matter with you?  Are you blind or something?”  When we hurl this comment at someone, they are never physically blind (it would be too embarrassing for us if they were).  What we mean is that they are just too ignorant or stupid to see what is right in front of them.  Tuphle (Greek).  Jesus isn’t very polite when it comes to robbery and self-indulgence.  But what he says should give us some trembling concern.  What he says is that our actions are transparent to him but completely opaque to us.  Being a hypocrite is worse than acting one way and saying something else.  It is not even knowing that you are doing it.

There is a very scary part of dealing with hypocrisy in our lives.  We usually won’t realize it is there until someone else points it out.  We think we have a nice clean cup and then someone comes along (sent from God) and exposes our double standard.  Adrenaline rush.  Embarrassment.  Justification.  The usual “want to get away” stuff.  But God is good.  Hypocrisy disclosers are His messengers of grace. 

Remember Paul on the Damascus road.  His hypocrisy was so virulent that Jesus Himself had to be the revealer.  Paul was blind before he met Jesus.  He just didn’t know it.  That’s the way most of us are.  We need the piercing insight of others.  We need exposure to the light.  It’s often quite uncomfortable.  But it’s essential.  How will you grow toward holiness unless someone who sees can point you in the right direction?

So, here’s the question.  If we really are blind to our own hypocrisy, are we praying for God to send a revealer?  Are we open to encountering a discloser?  Or are we hoping not to be exposed to the light?

“Father, send me a discloser today.  I want to be holy like You.  I’m afraid, but I’m ready.  I trust you with my life.”