Ohe dictionary defines a hypocrite as "one who plays a part; a pretender; one who pretends to be what he is not; one who pretends to be better than he really is or pious, virtuous, etc without being so".

These are strong words when used to label any person. Yet our Lord Jesus had this in mind when He called the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees "hypocrites". Jesus charged that by their attitude, behaviour and false teachings, the guardians of the faith were preventing God's followers from reaching Him. Jesus also called the Pharisees "blind guides"!

If we examine ourselves closely, we will find that there is a little of the Pharisee in all of us. We need to be aware that the harsh words that Jesus used against the Pharisees could well apply to us.

We must know if we indeed pretend to be what we are not. If we can acknowledge this major weakness and obstacle in our relationship with God, then we need to seek His help to change. If we sincerely desire to set right our relationship with God, we should be willing to allow others to comment constructively on our behaviour. This will ensure that the harsh words of Christ on hypocrisy no longer apply to us.