The Peril of Appearances

10.6.2009

Luke 20:47 47 “…who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” New American Standard Bible

Luke 20 is mostly devoted to a wrestling match of wits between the Lord and His detractors – they lose. But Jesus has the last word and the Scripture says “And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, ‘beware…’” Beware of hypocrisy, saying one thing and doing another; acting one way and living another. He then sums up His statements by saying, “These [the hypocritical] will receive greater condemnation.” Why greater; because, for appearance’s sake, they tried to look like representatives of God all the while doing evil.

The peril of appearances is this: the buck stops at God; God knows who I am at heart, and God will deal with the hypocrite. God knows the real me, the real you. God knows all of my alliances, schemes, and dreams. And God knows where my heart really is.

So I must live my life according to that reality and quit allowing appearances (whatever and whenever) dictate to me how I should act. The bottom line is, I will at some point have to deal with the One who knows, and because He has called me to live in Spirit and truth, I should expend the effort and energy to do that rather than to go to all the trouble to live for appearance’s sake… condemnation is always greater for the actor.

Father in Heaven,

You know me and yet You still invite me to be Your servant and live in Your family. I pray that You convict me every time I put on appearances and I ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit to walk ‘worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead…’ (v. 35) I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.