Sun, 16 June 2019
In August of 2013, a zoo in China temporarily closed because of an unusual complaint. Visitors discovered that the zoo's “lion” was, in reality, a dog posing as a lion. According to a report in a Beijing newspaper, the fraud came to light when a mother and her young son visited the zoo and the animal, labeled as an "African lion," starting barking.
Zoo keepers later admitted that the so-called lion was actually a Tibetan mastiff, which is a large dog with a furry, brown coat. The outraged mother said, “The zoo is absolutely cheating us . . . I paid good money for the tickets and I feel defrauded.”
The people were disappointed. They were swindled because things were not as advertised.
It is disappointing when things are not as they appear. That kind of discrepancy can raise its ugly head in our lives and in the church. There’s a name for that. Hypocrisy. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus calls for a halt to the hypocrisy. No more play-acting.
This will be our theme this weekend as we dive into Matthew 6:1-18. Join us Sunday at Istrouma! |