Be True to Who You Are

We go to Church and say our prayers. We smile and are courteous to those in the pews next to us. Then comes the end of Divine Liturgy when the priest says, “Let us go forth in peace.” We exit the front doors of the Church, only to return to the life we had before we entered those same doors. We are one person inside the Church, and quite another outside.

The Lord said, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Luke 6.37-45

Yesterday I wrote about Christian Relationships, and how they were important to our battle against the devil. Today’s Gospel lesson reminds to be true to who we are. “For no good tree bears bad fruit.” We cannot continue to live as one person inside the Church and another outside.

We are either Christians who do not judge and who forgive, or we are not. We cannot be both. We either see clearly after removing the log in our eyes, or blindly guide others into the pit. One thing is for sure. We are all Christians who forget who we are supposed to be.

Christ didn’t say don’t help others. He told us to clean up our act before worrying about someone else’s path. He didn’t say, ignore the needs of others. He said to focus on our sins before trying to correct the sins of others.

There are plenty of hypocrites in the Church. If it were not true, Christ wouldn’t have called us out. It isn’t hypocritical to sin. It is hypocritical to think we are sinless. If it has been a long time since you have been in Church because of ‘all the hypocrites’ you see inside, I invite you to come join us. Christ is calling you too.

Coming to Church to pray as a sinner isn’t being a hypocrite. Coming to pray is trying to remove the log from our eyes so we can see God clearly. It is tempting to stay outside, but inside God is waiting to heal us and forgive us.

If you love God, and want Him to heal your blindness, or forgive your sins, or pick you up out of the pit, then come to Church. If you want to stay outside because everyone on the inside is a hypocrite, then you are only missing God’s grace.

If you come to Church to pray and then leave without changing your heart, you run the risk of falling into the pit. You don’t have to be prefect every time you walk out of Church. You only have to focus on being true to who you are. You are a human being that needs God.