Luke 12:1-12: The Secrets Belong To God

Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” - Luke 12:1-12

When I read this, three things stick out to me:

1. Secrets are deadly. At its root, hypocrisy is all about the secrets: the difference between our inner life and our outer behavior. We pretend to have one motive, when we have a hidden motive. That type of life, one of pretending to be virtuous while being, at heart, selfish, is the yeast of the Pharisees.  But everything that is hidden is known to God and will eventually be known to all.
2. One of the reasons people resort to the deceit that is at the root of hypocrisy is because of fear of exposure-what other people will think. This is true both our lies and our truths. We hide the truth, even the godly truth, because of what others will think. But God knows it all and what God thinks is most important.
3. One of the truths with consequences is our loyalty to God. Ultimately, our actions and our words speak to our loyalty to God. Every word and every action is testimony about the reliability of God. So it is a serious thing to pretend loyalty and then when the pressure comes, give it up. This is the type of hypocrisy that Jesus says the Pharisees have, but it is what he doesn't want to see in his followers. Ultimately, it is God who is our defender and our advocate more than we ourselves.

Hypocrisy is easy on one level, because it allows us to say what is pleasing to the hearer in order to escape the consequences of our choices. But on another level, it is very difficult, because it shows that "I" am about me, a very difficult thing for any person with ideals to admit. I don't always stand up well under the harsh light of examination by others as to my motives and my stated ideals. That's why I'm so testy when someone accuses me of the inconsistency. Instead I    would like to answer from the truth and let the defense out of my hands. But I hold to it too tightly. So that's my prayer: to be honest because its the truth, not because it makes me look one way or another.