The Apostle Paul considered himself the “Apostle to the
Gentiles.” (Romans 11:13) This wasn’t popular among the Jewish leaders and even
many of the Jews who were followers of Jesus. Yet Paul continued to argue, at
great risk to his life, that Jesus came to save the Gentiles (basically, anyone
who wasn’t Jewish) as well as the Jews.
In the scripture we read today, Paul points out that the
Jews, the keepers of the Law, are hypocrites because they preach about the law
but don’t keep it. “While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You that
forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob
temples? You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?”
(Romans 2:21-23)
Too often in our world people who are not Christian are
driven away from Christianity by the hypocrisy of people who call themselves
followers of Christ.
The late author Brennan Manning wrote, “The greatest single
cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with
their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle.”
As Christians we should be very aware of our actions and
seek with all our hearts, minds, and strength to ensure our actions align with
the words of Jesus.
Dear God, please forgive us when we praise you with
our lips and deny you with our actions. Help us to think and act in ways that
always give you honor and glory. Amen.
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