"LUKE 13:10-17 REFLECTION - Hypocrites!" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 62: Jesus offers us a chance to be trusted and trusting to know where we and others can find life-giving moments.

"LUKE 13:10-17 REFLECTION - Hypocrites!" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 62: Jesus offers us a chance to be trusted and trusting to know where we and others can find life-giving moments.

Luke 13:10-17

Hypocrites! was the word that grabbed me. That word usually does. It’s such a heavy and loaded word meant to pack a punch. We hear it used about the church and you may have even heard it said about you or someone you care about. Church people LOVE to throw this word around…and non-church people LOVE to throw this word around too.

So…here in Luke…it’s Jesus throwing this word around.

Upocritays is the Greek word from which hypocrite comes.

In Greek it means “play-actor.”

That’s important to understand because we often use this word as someone who does something that they claim to be bad.

While that can be an accurate use of the word, it isn’t always a given.

What I mean is, I do things I shouldn’t. I do them all of the time. As hard as I work to be better and do better, I have my stumbling blocks which I continually trip over.

This doesn’t make me a hypocrite if I lift up my stumbles and explain how they are not things people should do.

That’s not play-acting.

Play-acting is when I lift stumbles up as something we should do with absolutely no intent of trying to avoid them in my own life.

Being a hypocrite is putting on a show, not struggling to do what is right.

This passage is such a great microcosm of what we do. We all have rules we follow more than others. We uplift certain practices of our faith or beliefs or truths or whatever…all the while not uplifting others that are more important to other people.

We all have our focus which differs from others.

Some people will happily speed down the highway with no sense of guilt while becoming livid when someone tosses trash out of their car window. The person who tosses the trash out thinks nothing of it, but gets really made when the person at the 4-way stop goes out of turn. The person going out of turn doesn’t see the big deal, but then gets upset when someone speeds.

Everything changes when we see it through our lens.

This synagogue leader had his particular focus when it came to Jesus and the synagogue, but no qualms with untying ox and donkeys on Sabbath.

Different focus on the same ritual.

What Jesus does to turn this ritual into a focus on what is life-giving rather than what is defined as “work” by any one person is such a breath of fresh air.

Trust yourself and trust others to know what is appropriate and life-giving on Sabbath.

So, my friends…trust yourself to know what brings you life today. Take your Sabbath, if you aren’t in the routine of doing so. Figure out what feeds you…and give your trust to God to keep the world spinning around while you take time to rest.

And…encourage others to do so too. We all need a voice of encouragement in our overworked, guilt-laden, and stressed culture.

Be the voice for others…and don’t be a play-actor, be that voice for yourself too.

Message brought to you by Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford).

Music by The Muse Maker

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