Today's Gospel in Art - Do not imitate the hypocrites

Diogenes, by Jean-Léon Gérôme 1860 © Walters Art Museum, Mount Vernon, Baltimore

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 16th June 2021 - Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

Jesus said to his disciples: 'Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men's admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

'And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

'When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.'

Reflection on the Painting

Jesus condemns hypocrisy in today's Gospel reading. We are all guilty of hypocrisy. In a way, hypocrisy is maybe an almost inevitable consequence of taking our faith seriously. We will never live up to the standards of what is being asked of us. So being aware of our hypocrisy can drive us to try and grow stronger in our faith.

Probably the simplest form of hypocrisy is that we don't practise what we preach. We say one thing and then do the other. A far worse form of hypocrisy is that we don't only not practise what we preach, but that we don't even believe what we preach. We say things aloud to fit in with a group or in social circumstances. We like to be popular, even at the cost of our own principles. This is worse than the first form of hypocrisy, as here we clearly lie. Both forms of hypocrisy are ultimately rooted in pride. Pride makes us say and do things for the sake of appearances.

To take this a step further: cynicism is even worse. At least a hypocrite believes in something or aspires to something, even when he/she doesn't live up to expectations. A cynic, however, doesn't believe in anything in the first place. Having no commitment to largely anything, cynics can never be accused of being hypocrites. So they feel entitled to point the finger at other people's failings, at what we do as a Church, at how believers stumble and fall…

Our painting depicts Diogenes, the Cynic. He was one of the founders of Cynic Philosophy. He used his simple lifestyle in Athens to criticise the social values and institutions of what he saw as a corrupt society. Diogenes made a virtue of poverty and begged for a living, sleeping with the dogs of the street in a large ceramic jar, as we see depicted in our painting. He often did some philosophical stunts, such as carrying a lamp during the day (depicted here too), claiming to be "looking for an honest man". His cynicism possibly had some merit. It is very different though from 21st-century cynicism, which is often a general, deep distrust of other people, their faith and social values.

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/839
Christian Art - www.christian.art