Sunday was a most important day for Jason. He dressed in his very best suit, complete with vest, an engraved handkerchief in his jacket pocket, and a colorful tie. He then brushed every hair perfectly into place. Peering into the bathroom mirror, he smiled. “Looking pretty sharp buddy. You’re stylin.”
At church Jason served as an usher. He greeted the congregation with a wide smile, easily sharing spiritual sounding phrases like, “Bless you sister,” or “Praise the Lord.” Jason handed out hymnals, helped with the collection, and was a member of the ministry team, praying for people after the sermon. “My, what a nice looking Christian man,” said many in the church.
But during the week, Jason rarely gave God a thought and paid little attention to the teachings of Christ. He was hard on his employees, contentious with his wife, critical of his kids and dabbled in pornography. He schemed on his secretary and enjoyed telling embarrassing jokes at parties. He cared only about himself.
Yes, Jason was a nice looking man. And on Sunday he was a nice looking Christian man. But the truth be told, he was the consummate hypocrite.
** Said Jesus to the Pharisees, “You are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear outwardly beautiful, but inside are full of dead man’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so, you Pharisees appear outwardly righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” Matthew 23:27-28
Too many times in my life, I have resembled a white-washed sepulcher
** A regular prayer of mine, “God, deliver me from being any kind of a Pharisee.”
Prayer Focus This Week… One overriding prayer need is Vacation Bible School, jointly held this week by Little Church by the Sea and the Presbyterian Church. Some 120 kids are signed up and here is Toby’s evaluation of the opening day of VBS held yesterday: “We had an excellent first day of VBS. Thank you for the prayers. I really felt God answering them and I am so grateful.” Keep praying everyone, that many of these kids would give their hearts to Christ this week.
Pastor Jay