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Sunday, May 3, 2009

HOGS AND HYPOCRITES

A Christian once visited a farmer to talk to him about Christ. "I wouldn't come to that church," the farmer said. "I know ‘So-and-so’ who attends that church and claims to be a Christian and ‘So-and-so’ who attends church there. They don't live any differently from me. I'm as good as they are."
Everywhere the farmer went he told about the hypocrites in that Church. Months passed and the Christian brother went to see the farmer again.
"I want to buy a hog", said the Christian. The farmer showed all his best hogs to him. Then they came to the runt. "I believe I will take the runt," the Christian said.
“You don't want that one. He's the worst in the litter.”
"I sure do" said the Christian. So they loaded the runt in the truck. "Now," said the Christian, "what if I take this pig here from your farm and ride all over this area telling folks that this is the kind of hogs you raise?"
"That's not fair!" the farmer exclaimed. "I have some nice hogs and you want to show people that runt?!"
To which the Christian replied, "If it's fair for the church it's fair for the hogs!"

We are guilty of this many times ourselves and are like the world when it comes to our judging the Church, aren't we. As in the above story so aptly illustrates how we and people of the world misjudge the church by pointing to the hypocrites and acting as if all Christians are like them. We
are quick in doing this. But do we not sometimes do the same things to one another. When you see only the weaknesses in the life of your Christian brethren and fail to see their good points, are you not doing the same thing the world does?
So then, go out and do right. Live right. Sin not...and above all, be not your brother's Judge. Leave the judging to our Lord!

1 comments:

Don Porter said...

From Webster's 1828: HYPOCRITE 1. One who feigns to be what he is not; one who has the form of godliness without the power, or who assumes an appearance of piety and virtue, when he is destitute of true religion.

I recall a message you brought about judging and hypocrisy. Sometimes we, as Christians, when we don't rightly divide the Word, make misaplications.

There have many things in the Bible that I have been taught from a little boy that the Lord has allowed me to understand and apply differently.