We were looking at how Jesus was responding to the question of what He believes is the greatest of the commandments and He shares this . .

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)

Part 3 of this greatest list is . . . Be Real  It’s funny but this is the part of my study of this passage that actually was the easiest to see in this passage for me to formulate.  Over the years I have struggled with the idea that most Christ-followers wear masks & this is not supposed to be the way it is.  I’ve watched people with various struggles do everything they could to hide them.  While there is nothing wrong with keeping secrets; secrets seldom stay secret. 

Let me share a story that I thinks sums it up well. Way back when I was a very young Christian, Cheryl & I were very active in our church.  We both taught Bible school.  I served as a Deacon & served on a whole bunch of committees.  It meant that I got to know most of the people of the church fairly well.  One day I was driving to the store & came up next to one of those church members in his car at an intersection.  There he was with his arm hanging out of the window; a cigarette clearly dangling from his fingers.  He didn’t see me at first.  I tapped the horn & he looked over at me & when he realized who it was, he quickly moved his arm into the car so that I couldn’t see the cigarette.  To this day I still find this funny.  I knew he smoked.  He knew I knew he smoked.  Yet here he was trying to hide it from me.  He didn’t want me to see the real person that he was.  It’s a shame. 

You see, I’m not condoning smoking, yet that was a reality for him.  I’m not saying he should be proud of it.  But when we try to hide, we demonstrate that we are indeed what the world claims of us; the dreaded “hypocrite” word. 

In this passage, Jesus makes a startling assertion for you and me.  He says, “Love your neighbor as yourself “  While at first blush this means that we should love people the way we love ourselves and I completely agree with that thought.  I think it means more than this.  In fact, I believe he is telling us a simple truth about how we can really make a difference in our world.  Be real instead of being phony.  Be who you are supposed to be instead of who you think people would want to see. 

God can and does change us.  His plan from the very beginning was to help us grow & mature into the Godly people He wants us to be.  However, when we portray ourselves as something we are not, we betray truthfulness & those closest to us see us for the liars we are.  When we live one way & say another, we violate not only our consciences but the very holiness of God.  This is a real problem for many in ministry. 

People set pastors & preachers up on a pedestal & when they fall (and they surely do) people are shocked.  While we should always be shocked at the falls of those in leadership, many in ministry portray themselves as much better than they are because they love being on the pedestal.   Just for the record, I am not saying we should relish in our sinful behaviors.  We should be genuinely ashamed when we fall or walk in a behavior or attitude that brings shame to Christ.  We should however not portray ourselves as holy & blameless when we just are not holy & blameless every moment of every day.  I am also not saying we shouldn’t work at growing up & working toward perfection in our walks; we should.  But the road for most people is to hide our weaknesses & promote our strengths.   

Funny that Paul spoke to this clearly in this 2^nd letter to the Corinthians.  He wrote “I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.  Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT) 

So here’s the deal for the church.  We encourage our people to live the best lives they can; to grow & mature in Christ; to acknowledge their weak areas & pray that God helps them to overcome.  Most importantly, we ask our members to be who they are and work to become who God desires for them to become.  Lastly for each one to realize what areas God is calling them to in the work of growing the Kingdom. 

back to part 2

I hope this helps you to understand a little more about the church.  I am also sure you may very well have questions about this & wonder how you can apply it in your life.  Feel free to reach me through the church at 407-293-2768 or via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  May the Lord grant you wisdom & mercy as you seek His will & plan for your life.