Monkey See Monkey Do

11.02.13

Mark 12.38-40 38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (ESV)

I don’t know about you, but this short little observation by Jesus always makes me think negatively about religious leaders. Now, before I completely tip the tub out with that, let me say I seem to think that way because I often read the Scripture with the completely wrong understanding. It isn’t just religious leaders who practice hypocrisy; it’s all of us to some degree or another.

I love the quote my friend Jim Stephens posted on Facebook recently: Church is like Halloween; it’s where we all dress up and pretend to be someone different. You don’t have to be a religious leader to be a hypocrite but woe to the one who is…

Jesus appeared to be saying there is a condemnation for hypocrisy, but there is a greater condemnation for hypocrisy as an abuse of leadership. Leaders, like it or not, have influence; what they do causes others to want to do the same thing. Monkey see, monkey do. Jesus wasn’t putting a hierarchy on hypocrisy but He was warning them (and us) to be careful how we live because they/we influence others whether we’re (officially) leaders or not. Leadership is to be a careful, thoughtful, understanding, and serious business. When a leader takes a short-cut, just watch, it ain’t too long before his led do the same.

When my leadership becomes my club for control, or my costume for glory then I’m abusing my leadership. When I preach accountability but don’t practice being accountable then I’m abusing my leadership. When I get all dressed up and pretend to be someone else, I’m abusing my leadership. Others may not even see it, but I’m abusing my leadership.

What Jesus, I think, is looking for, is honesty. I think the Lord seeks friends who will be honest before Him and honest toward others. I think He modeled honesty before mankind and asks that we do the same. But in the process we need to be careful that our honesty doesn’t become a noun – honesty has to be a verb in our relationship with God and with man.

Any time I make whatever I do about keeping rules and trying to avoid a greater condemnation I convert whatever that is into hypocrisy; it’s self-fulfilling. I’m learning how to be a verb rather than a noun. I’m learning (albeit the hard way) that what I perceive to be a religious life is mostly a façade to hide behind and that is hypocrisy in the worst degree.

Lord Jesus, my Brother, may my life be like Yours, a Verb and not a noun. May I see hypocrisy in me for what it is and kill it by being Your honest friend, not hiding by keeping the rules. Help me Lord! Amen.