Day 51

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“Hypocrites in the Church? Yes, and in the lodge and at the home. Don't hunt through the Church for a hypocrite. Go home and look in the mirror. Hypocrites? Yes. See that you make the number one less.” --Billy Sunday

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they
love to stand and pray in the synagogues and street corners,
that they may be seen by others.”
(Matthew 6:5-6)
There are two words of significance tied together here I find really interesting. Both evoking imagery relating to face or direction. They are the Hebrew words for pray and hypocrite.

The word for prayer has, at its origin, the idea of face, in the sense of looking toward, beseeching or asking for by looking directly in the person’s eyes. The idea here is that we face God and God faces us. There is a reciprocal relationship here that we sometimes lose sight of. That of not only asking God to meet our needs but also to hear from Him. His love for us, His desire for us and, in short, receiving our ‘marching orders’ for the day, so to speak.

The word used for hypocrite has its origins in the theatre. Think about the symbols often associated with actors. Two masks, one depicting comedy and the other, tragedy. This is the picture of hypocrisy. Actors would hold one mask up to indicate whichever emotion was appropriate. This is what we, as humans, often do. We hold up a mask in front of our face to project what we want the world to see according to the situation. And, much like the actors on the stage who receive applause or a standing ovation, only to take of the mask when the show is over. They have, in essence, received their just reward for putting on a show, a façade, having hidden their true self behind a mask. Acting at its best. There is no more poignant image than the picture of a clown with tears running down his face, the audience long gone home, and he is left alone with his thoughts.

So comes the challenge of the Serving King. Ignore the temptation to ‘act out’ righteousness before the crowds. Instead, quietly move into the presence of the Serving King. Never lose sight of His eyes as you pray into the night. It is the way of those loving on in the way of the Serving King…
BB

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