Sunday, November 12
Nothing to hide
Scripture: Esther 1-3, Luke 12
Luke 12:1–3 Meanwhile, when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known. 3 So then whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.
Observation
Every hidden or secret thing will be revealed and made known. Good or bad. All those good things you’ve thought, said or done that were hidden will be revealed. That’s encouraging. And all those bad things you’ve thought, said or done that were hidden will be revealed. That’s terrifying.
Some of that can happen in this life, but most of it will wait for the final judgement, when we stand before God.
Application
Laina and I are listening to John Burke’s Imagine Heaven, which is about what he has learned from studying near death experiences. Many people report a “life review.” All that they’ve thought, said or done is revealed. They not only see what they were thinking and feeling, but what others were thinking and feeling, and how their words and actions impacted others, for good or bad. I thought of this when I read Jesus’ words about everything hidden thing being revealed. (Burke reports that people felt shame and sorrow but also experienced overwhelming love and mercy.)
I’ve often said that I’m glad we don’t have screens on our foreheads that show our thoughts second by second. I have so many thoughts that I wish would stay hidden forever! But Jesus says that all will be revealed.
That should motivate me to think, speak and act in ways that I would want everyone, especially Jesus, to see and be pleased with. Nothing to hide. And that seems to be the intention of Jesus’ words. He is warning against hypocrisy—play acting, pretending to be something you’re not, having a hidden life.
So today, live in Jesus’ presence with no secrets, nothing to hide. Submit every thought, word and deed to Him now. Live so that you’ll have nothing to be ashamed of when all is revealed.
Prayer: Lord, purify my heart, and then let me live with no masks out of a pure heart. Nothing to hide.