Jesus called them Hypocrites by Carol Wolman

Jesus called them Hypocrites by Carol Wolman

Mt 23:    ²⁵Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

 

Jesus lived in times similar to ours.  The Roman Republic had recently been replaced by an empire, ruled by degenerate emperors who called themselves gods.  They were represented in Judea by the Pharisees, who professed great piety while they fleeced the people. 

 

The Pharisees of our day also pretend to be pious.  We sputter for words to describe the machievellian manuevers of the Bush junta.  We don't want to stoop to the level of the hatemongers on the "Christian" right, yet we want to label these people accurately, in a way that exposes their lies and deceit.

 

Jesus used the word "hypocrite" over and over.  It is a good, strong, accurate word.   According to the Wikipedia: Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to have morals or virtues that one does not truly possess or practise. 

 

This is the perfect word to describe the wolves in sheeps' clothing currently inhabiting the White House and key positions in Congress.  They call themselves "Christians".  This should mean that they abide by Jesus' law of love, that they tell the truth, that they minister to the poor and needy, that they turn the other cheek, that they eschew worldly wealth and practice nonviolence.  In fact, they preach fear and hate, they lie constantly, they rob the poor to enrich the rich, they make unprovoked war on civilians, they amass enormous fortunes and delight in violence.

 

Jesus had a way with words.  In fact, one of His names is Living Word. 

 

Cindy Sheehan used His words in her recent piece Hypocrites and Liars http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/082005X.shtml   Cindy has worked in the Catholic Church for many years and must be familiar with scripture.  She is using the method that Jesus pioneered, of speaking truth to power, in her vigil for peace outside the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas. 

 

Cindy is unmasking Bush's hypocrisy.  His refusal to meet with her, to give a few minutes of his time to this woman who gave her most precious jewel, her son, to his dirty war, shows the blackness of his heart and the arrogance of his mind. 

Matthew 23: 14 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will be punished more severely.

The worst part of the "Christian" coalition is that they have hijacked the name of Jesus and the Bible, and have many reluctant to mention these sources of truth and wisdom. 

Matthew 23:13 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

Most American Christians sincerely seek the truth and try to follow the teachings of Jesus.  The Christian followers of Bush have been duped, misled, bribed and bullied into accepting hypocritical "spin" as reality. 

Let us point out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees of today, unmask them, impeach them, and bring them to justice.

In the name of the Prince of Peace,  Carol Wolman