Jesus Shows Up Those Who Show Off

We all know people who like to show off.

Some of them take pride in the size of their homes or what kind of car they drive. Some of them brag about their important careers, their accomplishments and how much money they have made. Others like to show off how good they look and in what great shape they are in. These are the ones who update their social media with selfies every hour. And still others are always eager to tell you about all the traveling they have done.

If we are honest with ourselves, we should admit that there are many times when we have acted in just the same way.

What is going on inside of us that makes us want to brag and show off? Quite simply, we believe that we are not good enough. We are convinced that something is wrong with us, that we are not as good and as deserving as the people around us. Therefore, we try to puff ourselves up with material possessions, high powered careers, good looks or lofty accomplishments. We hope that others will think we are important and give us attention. Most importantly, we hope that they will love us because we do not believe that we can be loved just for ourselves.

In first century Palestine, when Jesus lived, people had the same fears and insecurities. Like us, they wanted to be seen as important. They loved being recognized in the marketplace and being greeted with the titles that came from their positions of authority. Because religion was a central part of their culture, they wanted to be seen as pious and good. Therefore, they would pray aloud on street corners and in the Temple not so that God could hear them but so that others would. Also, they used the money donated to the Temple not to feed the poor and not even to maintain the building. Rather, they bought long and colorful robes for themselves so they could strut around like peacocks. No doubt, the people were very impressed by this show and wanted their leaders to be men of great pomp to convince themselves that they too were a great people.

However, Jesus could see right through it all. He knew that the outward show of importance was really a mask for an insecure, frightened spirit. That is why he called such people “hypocrites.” The word, “hypocrite” comes from a Greek word meaning “actor”. Like actors, hypocrites are playing a role. They act important but are really insecure inside. They act holy but their hearts are full of pride and envy. They seem to be interested in the poor but all the while they are really promoting their own interests.

In contrast, Jesus holds up the example of the poor widow. There is nothing about her that would make us pay attention to her. She did not wear fine clothes or live in a luxurious home. Rather, she was the most pitiable of persons - poor and alone. However, because she could not put on airs, she was free to come to God just as she was. Because she did not have the means to put on a show of self-importance, she was free to let others see her as she really was. In fact, of all the wealthy, educated and important people in the crowd that day, she was the freest and most generous. Because of this, Jesus tells us that her two small coins were worth more than everything else that had been contributed that day.

This poor widow teaches us a central lesson about the spiritual life. All of us in one way or another are poor. All the pretenses we make of importance, holiness, wealth, education or physical beauty are just our pathetic attempts to cover it up. The truth is that God sees right through it. There is nothing we can do to impress God. All He asks is that we admit that we are weak and sinful. He asks that we confess our sinfulness and accept His forgiveness. He wants us to be honest with Him about our fears and insecurities. He wants us to entrust them all to Him and allow Him to heal us so that we can love and accept ourselves just as we are - the good, the bad and the ugly. Then we will be able to love others as they are also.

What would happen if for just one day we all let our guard down and allowed others to see us as we really are? I bet that we would discover that others live with the same fears and insecurities that we do. I bet that we would see that others struggle in the same ways we do. We would discover that the person who seemed so superior to us is really no different than we are. And, most importantly, we would see that the ones we judged inferior to us are really far beyond us in maturity and goodness. Perhaps, we would learn that rather than reject us or judge us, our family and friends would love us all the more when we reveal our vulnerabilities to them. We would learn that we are lovable not because of what we have or what we have accomplished but simply for who we are. Our sense of isolation and loneliness would dissolve once we see that we are not alone in our struggles. Then we could take all the energy and time we have spent covering up our faults and weaknesses and put it into doing good for others. How different our world would be if we all for once would stop playing a role and simply be ourselves.

As we gather in this temple today, we have the opportunity to let our guard down, to allow our Heavenly Father to see us just as we are and to enter into communion not only with Him but with all those who have joined us in prayer today. Jesus Himself is our example. He does not come to us in a blinding show of majesty and power but veiled in the elements of bread and wine so that we will not be intimidated. Now He asks the same of us - that we take off the mask we have been wearing. No doubt we will discover that we are loved just as we are. And we will be able to love others in turn, just as we are loved without conditions and without exceptions.