A Minute Meditation

There is a daffy definition which says, “Always be sincere, whether you mean it or not.”

This definition goes against the very meaning of the word, since Webster’s dictionary tells us that sincere means to be without pretense or hypocrisy.

The etymology of the word sincere is interesting. In ancient Rome, the statue business flourished. It was the “in” thing to have marble statues in your home and so there were a great many sculptors to fill this demand. In every business, there are those who do quality work and those who make poor substitutes. It seems that the less qualified sculptors would use wax to fill in cracks and to cover up their mistakes. Some became so proficient at this that it was hard to tell a genuine solid marble sculpture from those which had been filled with wax.

If you wanted an authentic statue of fine quality, you would go to the artisan marketplace and look for the signs at the booths marked sine cera — without wax. In the sine cera booths you would find the real thing.

Our word sincere came from the Latin word sincerus which is derived from sine cera meaning without wax. For us to be sincere, we need to be the real thing, not filled with wax; not pretending to be what we are not.

Paul told the Philippians that he wanted them to “approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”

Joshua laid down a challenge to the children of Israel just prior to his death. It applies just as much to us today, living in the last days, just before the return of the greater Joshua to lead us into the promised land and establish his kingdom. He said, “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth.”

There is nothing we have to do that is more important than this, to serve our Lord in sincerity and truth. Nothing phony, no pretending, no wax, no false doctrines. Paul picks up this same thought and says almost the same words. “Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Going back to Joshua, he continues by giving us a choice of gods to serve. He first told the children of Israel to “put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt and serve ye the LORD. And if it seems evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

There is no sincerity and truth involved if you are trying to serve God and mammon. The Lord Jesus says you cannot do it. Don’t try. Get rid of the wax, do not be insincere.

Let our answer be the same as the children of Israel who said to Joshua so long ago, “God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods.” Joshua challenged them because he wanted them to be sincere. They responded to his challenge again by saying, “The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.”

Our wish for you is the same as Paul’s was to those who lived in Ephesus. “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.”

The subway train stops and a man and three young children board a car. The man sits down in one of many empty seats, but the children proceed to run up and down the aisle, making a considerable disturbance. Most of the commuters have their heads buried in their evening newspapers, but soon the whole car is becoming agitated due to the unruly behavior of these three youngsters.

Finally someone speaks to the father and tells him that his children are disturbing everyone in the car. He hangs his head and says, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do. You see we just left the hospital. Their mother died about an hour ago. They’re so upset, they don’t know how to react. They have been cooped up in the hospital room for hours. I’m sorry they’re disturbing you.”

Suddenly the feelings changed. Now everyone feels compassion when before they felt indignation at the unruly behavior of the young children.

What has changed? The youngsters are still acting the same as before. The attitude of the passengers has changed because they now understand why the children are behaving in an uncontrollable way.

If only we could all learn to be more compassionate toward others whose behavior does not agree with our own mood.

We do not always know why people are behaving as they are. We do not know what has happened in the past to cause them to do the things they are doing.

It is not that we are condoning their behavior but if we had the same problems they have, the same history they have endured, then perhaps our behavior would not be any better than theirs.

For this reason, we need to learn to be more compassionate, more patient, more understanding of others. We can honestly say to anyone we meet, “If I were you, I would be feeling the same way you are.” This is not being hypocritical, for if we really were him, and he was suffering mentally or physically, we would feel the same as him.

What can we do now to help the one whose behavior is less than we wish it were? Perhaps by just being willing to listen, to show a little attention, to be compassionate, to care.

Our Lord told us, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

The children were misbehaving, true. But when the circumstances became known, anger gave way to compassion. We may not always know why others are as they are, but we are wise to show compassion, for we are going to need all the mercy we can get from our Lord.

He went on to say, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”