The Lutheran Hour
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"The Sinning Hypocrite"
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Text: Romans 6:1-2
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! In a long procession the sinners of the world come forward to stand before the Savior’s empty tomb. There they will hear the angel’s words. Do not pretend you do not need to hear. Today those words of life are given to you and me. Today we stand as sinners in need of a Savior. This is the day the Spirit calls us to repent, believe, be saved. Grant this Lord to us all. Amen.
‘Have you heard?” That was the question I was asked as I entered Lutheran Hour Headquarters? I hadn’t gotten twenty feet in the door; I hadn’t been to my office, I hadn’t taken off my coat; I hadn’t had a chance to say ‘hello’ to anybody. “Have you heard?” “I’ve heard a lot of things this morning. I’ve heard about the stock market; I’ve heard about the automobile recall; I’ve heard about….” That’s when the other person with the question impatiently said “No, I don’t care about that stuff. I’m asking if you’ve heard about Pastor Somebody being arrested.” I had to confess I hadn’t heard about Pastor Somebody being arrested. “Yes”, my informant went on, “The police took his computers last spring and they found all kinds of things on those computers they shouldn’t have found. Can you imagine? His congregation is just devastated. He was so loved. They thought he was such a good Christian. Now this. I think people are going to leave that church in droves. It’s so sad.”
That’s what she told me, “It’s so sad.” But, in truth, she didn’t tell me that story as if she were sad about it at all. She gleefully, gladly, almost gaily told me that story of the pastor’s fall from grace. She knew she had an incredibly juicy bit of gossip and she was more than willing to whisper into any waiting ear every sad, every shocking, and every sinfully lurid detail. The worst part is, she was right. The story was big news. All the local TV channels used the story as the opening of their broadcast; the radio talk shows had a field day as they told and retold the story. Yes, it was a sad story. Even those few who didn’t want to know the dark details found themselves drawn to the Internet news sites which were constantly being updated with the latest dirt. One such site shared the facts with their readers and then offered everyone an opportunity to express their opinions about the pastor who had gone bad.
The last time I checked that site it had more than 40 pages filled with people’s opinions. Understandably these words had been written by souls who had been hurt, deeply, sadly, maybe eternally hurt. True, here and there somebody, usually a member of the pastor’s church, tried, as best as he or she was able, to salvage the pastor’s ruined reputation. “He wasn’t a bad man’, one of his parishioners had suggested; ‘He treated me OK’, was the best another saddened soul could offer. But any and all attempts of redemption were swept aside by a tidal wave of frustration and fury. In giant, capital letters these commentators shouted, “Hypocrites. The church is filled with hypocrites. There are hypocrites in the pulpits; there are hypocrites in the pews. They are all pathetic prudes, pitiful perverts, judgmental jerks who love to condemn everything and everybody, but they can’t stop sinning themselves.” That’s what they said, but they said it angrier and nastier and profaner.
They are not the first to feel the church is filled with hypocrites. Jesse Ventura, then Governor of Minnesota, suggested “organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.” Ventura’s ramblings went further as he complained organized religion “tells people to go out and stick their noses in other people’s business.” More recently, Jose Saramago, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, said the Bible is a “handbook of bad morals” and the world would be a better place without the Christian holy book. The atheistic author neglected to mention that his fame, his fortune have been based on Christian characters whose stories he had perverted when he ripped their names from the pages of Holy Scripture.
Hypocrites! The church is filled with sinners and hypocrites! If that is what you feel, would you be surprised if I said the Bible agrees with you? Would you be shocked to find that from its very beginnings the church has been riddled with false and foolish pretenders? It’s true. Turn to the history of the church, the book of Acts. Early in that narrative we’re told the story of some hypocrites: a husband and wife team by the name of Ananias and Sapphira. In the golden days immediately following the Savior’s resurrection victory; as once-condemned sinners basked in the joy of knowing Christ’s innocent blood had forgiven their sins, with Holy Spirit-given faith Christians gloried in the knowledge Jesus’ triumph over death and Satan had guaranteed them a place in heaven. They were ecstatic and some, in joyful thanksgiving, gave the church all they owned.
Understand, such contributions were voluntary acts. There was no arm-twisting, no coercion, no give-to-God-and-He’ll-give-to-you. That silly stuff would come later. The truth is, some of these Christians were so grateful to God for His grace they couldn’t help themselves. But this story is not about them, it’s about hypocrites. The story of Ananias and Sapphira begins with them selling some stuff. While there was no obligation for them to give the church any offering from the sale of their stuff, they decided that’s what they would do. They thought they’d give some and they’d keep some. It was a good decision that went sour when Ananias and Sapphira decided they wanted to impress people. Trying to make an impression Ananias and Sapphira put on their most sincere faces and clutching some of their money, they went to visit with the Apostle Peter. Ananias came in first. He said, “Peter, we sold some stuff and the little lady and I decided to give all the money we made, every penny we made, to the church.”
That’s when the Apostle interrupted and asked, ‘Man, why are you lying to God? You could have done anything you wanted with your money, but you shouldn’t have turned all hypocritical and lied to God.’ Those were the last words Ananias ever heard, for after Peter was done talking, Ananias fell down dead. A few hours later Sapphira came in. Peter asked her about the stuff the couple had sold and what they were giving to God. Sapphira stuck to the lie and she fell down dead, too. It was God’s way of saying He doesn’t like hypocrites.
Yes, there were hypocrites in the early church. Even Peter, yes, the Apostle Peter, the guy who had seen first-hand how God dealt with Ananias and Sapphira, he had his own bout with hypocrisy. Living under the freedom which Christ has given, Peter had been eating and drinking with the newer, the less-traditional members of the faith. But Peter got worried when he heard a delegation of some really straight Christians was coming out to see him. Because he wanted to look good in front of that delegation, he dropped his new friends like a hot potato.
Understand, Peter and his pals hadn’t been doing anything wrong, but Peter dropped them because he became hypocritical, because he wanted to look good. Well, God doesn’t like hypocrites, and although Peter didn’t get struck down dead, he still had to make an apology for his false face. (See: Galatians 2)
But that was then, and this is now. Who among us can remember God striking somebody down lately because of hypocrisy? It doesn’t happen. Which is why most churches don’t talk much about hypocrisy or any other sin. Of course, folks on the outside still do. “Have you heard?” That’s what’s asked every time a clergyman messes up. “Have you heard?” The folks outside the church are glad to condemn sin…especially the sin of hypocrisy. We’ve heard their judgment cries: “Hypocrites, the church is filled with hypocrites.” That’s the condemnation. That’s all an unbelieving world wants to know. Hypocrites! Christians sing songs to God on Sunday, but they forget Him Monday through Saturday. Hypocrites! They talk about God with their words but they deny Him with their lives. Hypocrites! Jesus, who had no place to lay His head, who said ‘blessed are the poor’ is challenged by the TV evangelists who live in gated mansions and whose bank accounts have undisclosed millions.
Hypocrites! Christians say they follow the Prince of Peace, but look at the bloodshed of the Crusades, see the torture chambers of the Inquisition. The actions of Christians show the hatred, prejudice, and fury which still lives in their hearts. Hypocrites! Jesus said, ‘blessed are the humble, the meek, the mild’, but His followers step over the bodies of others as they climb their corporate ladders and they teach their children to win, to succeed, to conquer at any cost. Hypocrites! Christians look down their noses at everyone else; they tell everyone else what to do, and how to live, and what they should think, but they don’t ever seem to be able to practice what they preach. We say we are forgiven; we say we have been washed of our sin by the Savior’s holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death. We say it, but our lives often contradict it.
Confused? Because of our lifestyles people are confused. Some wonder, “What does it really mean to be a Christian?” Others, having heard that question gladly reply, “It doesn’t mean anything, not a single thing.” Looking at our lives the world is puzzled, perplexed, and bewildered. One pastor preaches salvation through living grace and another proclaims happiness by graceful living. One minister tells of Jesus’ shed blood, and another urges human bloodshed. One denomination believes in Divine revelation while another is preoccupied with earthly revolution. Is it Christ’s atonement which saves or is it man’s attainment? Which is most important? One TV evangelist says God can’t bless you until you give to his ministry, but if you switch the channel you’re quickly told God can’t bless you until you give to that minister. No wonder a growing number of seekers, searchers, cynics, and skeptics have concluded religion is just smoke and mirrors. At best it’s an unimportant opinion and at worst it’s a giant joke being played by some slicksters who are taking the spiritual suckers for a ride.
My friends, if that is what you believe … if that is all you see when you look at us; if that is what we have done to you, I am truly, truly sorry. And I wish I could point to a church body or an individual congregation and say, “There are no hypocrites here.” I wish I could, but I can’t. I can’t because every Christian, everyone of us, myself included, are hypocrites. All of us like to look good; all of us want to be well thought of and most of us aren’t above putting on a little window dressing to make a good impression. Sadly, you have judged the Savior by what you see in us and you have found the Redeemer to be wanting. You have taken a look at us and said, “If this messed up world is the best Christianity can do in 20 centuries, I want no part in it.”
Wow, is that really what you feel? Then let me reply. In the last century there were many nations, great nations, who banished Christ’s name and His worship. Please, take a look at those nations. See the murders and the suffering caused by those godless leaders. Compared to what they did, the Crusades were a romp in the park. Compared to these contemporary atrocities, the torturers of the Inquisition were rank amateurs. Take a look and see what the world does without a Redeemer.
Still, my putting down the anti-Christian ruler does not lift up the Savior or Christianity, does it? Do you think if I spent more time confessing we are all hypocrites? Do you think it would be better for us to reveal the darkness of our souls and parade the perversity of our hearts and minds? Would you see Jesus any clearer if we did that? If you cannot stand us or our Savior when we are trying to look good and be good, how would you judge Him if we showed you the darkness we keep hidden? We can’t win! I don’t know of anything which might bridge the gap which separates the unbeliever from God. What can I say? Is there anything? How about this: I am a sinner. So are all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. We are sinners. Sometimes better than you, often worse. We are sinners.
But there is more. We are helpless sinners. In his meaning to the Third Article of the Apostle’s Creed, the reformer Martin Luther wrote “I cannot, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him ….. ” That’s a pretty profound statement. I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him. Still, that’s a lot to remember. Let me shorten it. Christianity is the religion which confesses, “I cannot”; the only religion which says, “We cannot.” Investigate the
hundreds of religions in America, the thousands of belief systems throughout the world, the tens of thousands of deities which have come and gone throughout history, you will find Christianity stands alone. Every other religion commands: “You must try. You must try to get back to god. You must try to pay for all you have done wrong; you must try to find a way which will make god smile rather than frown. You must find a way … but you will never know, never know, never know for sure if you have accomplished your task.”Christianity, and Christianity alone, sounds forth this eternal truth: the sinless Son of God came down from heaven, came down and became One of us. True Man and True God, Jesus lived His life. As the Son of God, He kept perfectly the laws which we have broken; as the committed Christ Jesus rejected every delectable temptation which Satan placed before Him, every enticement which beguiles and attracts. As our Substitute, Jesus carried our sins, took our punishment, died our death, and three days after His enemies had placed His dead body in a sealed and guarded grave, He rose from that tomb. Now, because of the Savior’s resurrection, all who believe on Him know that their sins are removed … yes, even the sin of hypocrisy.
Like you, God hates the sin of hypocrisy. Unlike you, God has given His Son to save us from that sin. Look at Jesus. Remember, Jesus did not stop visiting with His disciples because Judas was a hypocritical traitor and thief. Jesus did not stop conversing with Peter because that disciple had proven himself to be a hypocrite and denier. When Thomas doubted the resurrection, Jesus did not condemn the man for his questions. On the contrary, Jesus said, ‘Here, touch My hands, My side.” I’m real. I’m alive. Those disciples could be prejudiced, selfish, cruel, nasty, rude, and, when they were jockeying for first place in the kingdom of heaven, they, like us, could be filled with hypocritical sweetness and light.
Yes, those disciples could be all those hypocritical things you so despise. But they could also be men who traveled across the world telling people that God loved them and had sent His Son to save them. In a time when such things were not done, they spoke to slave and free, to commoner and emperor, to man and woman. To each they said, ‘in Christ death’s reign is over’ and ‘salvation is yours.’ Repent, believe, be saved. It was a simple message, but it was a message which transformed the world. Because of that message, no longer would gladiators hack each other to pieces for the crowd’s entertainment; no longer would parents leave their unwanted children on a hillside to die. Both forgiven sinner and faithful saint, these men went forward. And when the time came for them to die, their last words blessed and forgave, rather than cursed and condemned their murderers. When you look at Christians, you need to see that side of us, as well.
Yes, we are hypocrites and yes, we sin. That you see clearly. But I pray you also take a look at the food shelves stocked by Christians. Look at their acts of kindness, the continuing parade of Christian doctors, nurses, surgeons, carpenters, laborers into the places of the world where the people have nothing. Look at the acts of charity, the prayers which are offered, the compassionate people who stand and wait with families at the hospices of the world. If you look at us, see all of us; see the good the cross has created and not just the bad. We are sinners, sad and sorry sinners; but we are also sinners who are forgiven and most of us try hard to serve the Savior, at least most of the time.
You know the name Gandhi. You may not know that Gandhi, when he was a student, was interested in the Bible. It’s true. In his autobiography he tells of the time he had read the Gospels and was touched by the Savior whose love reached out to great and small, rich and poor. One Sunday, Gandhi went to a church to attend services and learn more of the Christ and His teachings. When he entered the sanctuary; the ushers refused to seat him and suggested he worship with his own kind. Discouraged by such hypocrisy, he never came back.
I wouldn’t have gone back either. You wouldn’t have gone back either. But Gandhi might have tried another church on another day. If he had, he might have found one where the people, having been touched by the Savior, were trying to take off their masks of hypocrisy. Forgiven, they are trying. They don’t always succeed, but they’re trying, and in such a place, with such forgiven sinners, another sinner will find his welcome.
If that is a church, a family of faith you need to meet, won’t you let us help? We can you
know… if you call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers)
January 10, 2010
TITLE: Elder MaterialAnnouncer: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer.
Klaus: Hello, Mark, and hello to our listeners.
Announcer: Today’s question has to do with the eligibility of a man to hold the office of church elder.
Klaus: We’d better do some explaining first. Some of our listeners might not be connected with a church. Others come from a totally different church background. They may not understand what you mean by the term “Elder.”
Announcer: OK, well, we’ll try to explain.
Klaus: And it might be confusing because there are differences in what an Elder does from one place to another.
Announcer: Granted. Having said all that, generally speaking, an Elder in a Lutheran congregation might be the same as a “deacon” in other denominations. And, by that term Elder we mean someone who is not part of the clergy. We are talking about someone who’s well acquainted with the Bible and its teaching; who has a faith that is more than theoretical; one who is highly respected. And in our Lutheran congregations, Elders are usually elected, although in some places they are appointed. At any rate, the Elders are responsible for the spiritual climate and temperament of the congregation. And they assist the pastor in the spiritual care of church members.
Klaus: Yeah, along with that, they are advice-givers, they are the doctrinal soundness keepers.
Announcer: Would you say they are among the best of the best–or at least they ought to be?
Klaus: They certainly were for me when I was in the parish. I had well over a hundred Elders spread out over 25 years and I only had one who turned out to be a stinker.
Announcer: Would you care to tell us that story?
Klaus: Uh, no. Wild horses couldn’t drag that story out of me. Far more important is the fact that 99 Elders who were a joy to work with for me and a powerful witness to my congregations.
Announcer: Having established that definition of what it means to be an Elder, we have our question then which reads: ‘Suppose a man is a good candidate for the position of elder as (described) in 1Timothy 3. And there we find, he is the husband of one wife; he is temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, and not violent.’
Klaus: A most impressive list of credentials.
Announcer: And the credentials continue: the elder is ‘gentle, not quarrelsome and not a lover of money. He manages his own family well, his children are respectful and he is not a new Christian and he has a good reputation inside and outside the church. (That’s all what Scripture has to say about the qualifications of an elder.) Now, our listener says, regarding this case, many years ago, before this man became a Christian he divorced his first wife for reasons our listener won’t go into. The reason was not unfaithfulness on the part of the wife.’ So the question is, “Would that man still be a good candidate for being an elder. It would seem that Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:9, make the man unfiL no matter how qualified he might be in other areas. What do you think?
Klaus: Matthew 19:9 says if a man divorces his wife for any cause other than sexual immorality and then that fellow gets married again, he is committing adultery.’
Announcer: Right. That’s what it says.
Klaus: OK, what shall we do with this? Mark, I think the person answered their own question in the very first line when they said, “Suppose a man is a good candidate for the position of elder.” Anybody who serves on a Nomination’s Committee in a church knows good elders are far and few between.
Announcer: Would that be your final answer?
Klaus: It’s moving in the right direction, but it’s not all of the final answer. Psalm 130: 3-4 says, “If you, 0 LORD, should mark iniquities, 0 Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.” If having committed a sin in the past means someone was kept from being an officer, we’re not going to have many-no, make that we’re not going to have any church officers. As the Psalmist says, there is forgiveness and those sins are no more.
Announcer: And, is that your final answer?
Klaus: Nope. There’s still more. I think if God can take a murderer like Paul and a denier like Peter, forgive them, and make them into His apostles, He can take a man who committed a sin before he came to faith, forgive him and make him into a congregation’s elder. I think that’s what St. Paul was writing when the Holy Spirit inspired him to say (1 Corinthians 5), “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself.”
Announcer: Final answer?
Klaus: Final answer: If I were this man’s pastor, and I were looking for candidates for the office of Elder, I would have no difficulty asking him to let his name stand on the ballot.
Announcer: Thank you Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selection for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray” sung by Dan Suelzle. Public domain.
“Preludio” by Arcangelo Corelli. From Charles Callahan Plays the Organ of the Church of the Holy Family by Charles Callahan (© 1997 Charles Callahan)
“O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” arr. Charles Ore. From From My Perspective, vol. 2 by Charles Ore (© 1995 Organ Works Corporation) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC