Just be who you are....There are no pretenders in the Kingdom

Every summer, when the work on the farm was busiest, we would hire some part time help. Usually there was an abundance of local high school aged guys looking for part time summer jobs. Little did they know what the job entailed! At that time we had a very large horse operation. The work was hard, dirty, smelly, and potentially dangerous. Let’s just say it would smoke out any cowboy pretenders or wannabes.

For example, one summer two young men arrived one morning for work. One had “the truck” with the transparent cowboy scene across the back with a “calf roping” rope hanging from a gun rack in the cab. This kid looked like the real deal with his cowboy hat, jeans, belt, and boots. 

The other young man, who was dropped off to work by his father, wore tortoise colored glasses, a white T-shirt, and khaki pants. He looked like a scholar. In my mind I thought this young man wouldn’t last long. Was I ever wrong!

Both of these guys got the first 2 day baptism of fire from hauling manure to catching horses. Both experienced the pitch fork induced blisters, and the rope burns that comes from being a rookie. The cowboy lasted 2 days and then he wilted. I gave him a 2 day pay check suggesting he look for lwork elsewhere. George Massey, the other scholarly looking kid, became one of the best summer hands we ever had. He continued with us several summers. I remember George because you always remember people who are the “real deal.”

In Luke 12:1-10 we find where Jesus has been constantly harassed by a group of self righteous religious zealots. They were Pharisees (separatist), or sometimes called “teachers of the law.” There were about 6,000 of them in Jesus’ day. 

The Pharisees looked and acted like the real deal spiritually, based on their outward appearance, and their fastidious keeping of man made rules. Jesus saw through their duplicity and called them out publicly. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites, which means pretenders, or actors. 

Why was Jesus so rough on this group? Because what they pretended to be on the outside was not who they were on the inside.

Jesus came to save the world from the penalty of sin and death. This blood-bought gift of God is received by faith and not by our own righteousness. The self righteous pretense of the Pharisees was hindering them from seeing their own need for a savior. Being honest about the sin in their lives would have led them to true repentance, and receiving the free gift of God’s grace.

Dr. Neil Anderson gave some valuable advice about teaching or preaching God’s Word. In paraphrase, he said if you are not living what your preaching then say so. 

Sharing your weakness in honesty before God, and others, will have a lasting impact. In other words just be who you are. 

We lead people to Christ for salvation, forgiveness, and the power to overcome sin. Only Jesus saves. God called “unschooled ordinary people” to be His Apostles. Not former rabbis, Pharisees or Priest. Why? Because only He is the real deal. He calls you and me to be ourselves and let people see the Real Deal living in and through our weaknesses.