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Faith Matters: A faith response to hypocrisy and discovering knowledge of self
Truth can be found in acknowledging our strengths, weaknesses and knowing we are loved by God, writes Bishop Bergie
By Gerard Bergie Contributing Columnist
Saturday, August 12, 2023
When I was a seminarian, we had a professor who would often say, “Gentlemen, remember that when you are making a fist and pointing your finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you.”
In order to help us to be good and compassionate priests, he wanted us to think about our own faults prior to condemning the same weaknesses in others. Self-knowledge helps us to do this, and it is a gift that needs to be developed throughout one’s whole life.
This image has remained a powerful sign, especially when I am tempted to ‘point my finger’ at someone else. Unfortunately, it does not work all the time despite my best efforts.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is offering a similar warning to people who like to point fingers. The image that he uses is a log.
“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5)
Jesus warns us about being a hypocrite. This involves noticing the faults in others and being blind to our own shortcomings.
The root of this word can be found in the Greek word hypokrites, which means ‘an actor.’ The person assumes a role and is playing the part of someone else. This focusing on the other, especially on his or her faults, is a significant part of hypocritical behaviour. We fail to see our own shortcomings. We ‘act’ as if we are better than everyone else.
Sometimes we are not able to see our faults or appreciate how our actions are perceived by others. This is why self-knowledge is so important. How can we develop this self-awareness? I would like to propose a faith response to this question.