Splink
» Hypocrisy
Pretending
Play a game of pretend. Write each of the following on a slip of paper and let each person draw one and act it out for the rest of the family to guess. (Pretend to walk in deep snow, eat an ice cream cone, sing at the opera, bake a cake, hit a homerun, set the table, jump on a pogo stick, ride a motorcycle, paint a picture, or wash a window.)
Say something like this: This was just a fun game; we were just pretending to do those things, but Jesus talked about another kind of pretending. Jesus told the Pharisees who were PRETENDING to be right with God that they needed to really get right with God. For example, they wanted to pray long prayers so people would THINK they were right with God, but their hearts were not right. Jesus said they were hypocrites.
Ask:
• What is a hypocrite? (A hypocrite is a person who pretends to have good morals but does not actually have them.)
• How can we be a hypocrite? (By pretending to be nice to a person, but then talking about her behind her back; by acting respectful to authority in church and disrespectful to authority when we’re with friends, etc.)
Clean, Inside and Out
Set the table with dirty glasses (add dirt, old bits of food, a worm, or whatever is gross). The outside should be clean though. When the kids complain, tell them that the outside is clean. Isn’t that good enough?
Tell them that this reminds you of a Bible verse—“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within you are full of extortion and excess” (Matthew 23:25).
Just like you want the cup to be clean inside and out, God wants you to be clean inside and out. Hiding or keeping sin will make you dirty inside. The way to be clean on the inside is to confess or tell God about your sin and ask Him to forgive (take away) your sin.
Mimicking Others
The lyre bird of Central Australia can mimic other birds (or even humans). Watch an amazing video (go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y) to see the many ways he can mimic others, even a chainsaw and a car alarm.
One of the ways you can be a hypocrite is to “mimic” others. Instead of being or doing what you know is right, you act like others.
Ask:
• How can mimicking others lead you to do wrong things? (You join in their wrong behaviors, like using bad words, drinking, stealing, cheating, etc.)
• What can you do when you are tempted to imitate others in wrong behaviors? (Ask God for help, talk to parents, leave, say, “No, thanks”)
