Wednesday of the
Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time
(Galatians 2: 1-2.12-17; Luke 11:1-4)
The word hypocrisy
comes from a Greek word meaning to play a
part or to pretend. Hypocrites evidently were originally
actors. In modern parlance hypocrites
pretend to be virtuous when they actually are not. They attempt to deceive. So when Paul accuses Peter of hypocrisy in
today’s reading from Galatians, he is leveling a serious charge.
Poor Peter is caught in the bind between following custom
and living faith in Christ. Being a Jew,
Peter grew up eating kosher. But faith
in Jesus means that following his ways of self-sacrificial love – not a
particular diet or other formal acts -- brings one salvation. First, Peter showed reliance on Christ by
taking food freely with non-Jews. Then
in the presence of Jewish Christians he pretends that he would never do such a
thing. This behavior sends a mixed message
which, Paul knows, will confuse non-Jews. In Paul’s purview a similar mixed
message has allowed some Galatian men to want circumcision rather than
consecrate on following Jesus.
Different from Peter, we likely show hypocrisy by
covering up our religiosity. For
example, Catholics who eat meat on Fridays in Lent when out with friends betray
their commitment to the Church. We want
to be known as both lovers of God and of the world. There is some overlap, but we cannot square a
circle. We must not conform to the world
but encourage the world to convert to God.
