Authenticity basically expresses the idea of being real, genuine, or true. It means being one’s true self, devoid of affectations and pretenses. The contrary is hypocrisy, which has become a big problem in our contemporary society. Many people we meet daily present false appearances, fake narratives, deceptive promises, and hypocritical mindset. The consequence is that trusting people nowadays becomes difficult.
In the area of religious beliefs and practices, double allegiance is very rife. Many profess belief in God but act and behave in complete contrast to what they profess. As a matter of fact, hypocrisy in faith is a fraud because faith itself is supposed to be a human response to God, and has to be genuine, and authentic.
Hypocritical faith is the appearance of believing when in actual fact one has other motives. It is a way of trying to deceive people and God, who Himself, of course, can never be deceived. But because human beings see mostly only the appearances, they are often deceived by inauthentic relationships and hypocritical expressions of the faith. Most contradictions we see in our Christian communities emanate from inauthentic and hypocritical living of the religious life.
In the readings of today, we find a contrast between authentic and inauthentic expressions of the religious life. In the first reading, we find the apostle Paul praising the Thessalonians for their authentic living of the Christian faith, but in the Gospel, we encounter Jesus reprimanding, in strong terms, the religious leaders of his time for their inauthentic living and hypocritical approach to the religious life.
The Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees
One of the things Jesus condemned most in his teachings was the inauthentic approach to religion. He saw this as a trait among Scribes and Pharisees who were the acclaimed religious teachers among the Jews of the time. One of their greatest crimes was that they had guided the people to live in an inauthentic relationship with God, as they confused the people with their teaching. They laid emphasis on irrelevant matters of the law and neglected the weightier matters of Justice and Mercy.
The consequence was that they ended up making their hearers and followers worse than they found them. In this way, Jesus accuses them of shutting the kingdom of heaven, not entering themselves and preventing others from entering, just like the dog in a manger. Jesus qualifies them as hypocrites, blind guides, and blind fools. These are very strong words, but they reflect the great danger that hypocritical teaching and guidance pose to genuine relationship with God.
The Authentic Religious Life of the Christians in Thessalonica
The apostle Paul praises and thanks God for the authentic practice of the faith by the Thessalonians (1 Thess 1:1-5,8b-10). This authenticity is characterized by their harmonious blending of the evangelical virtues of faith, hope, and love. He praises their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope. What it means is that the faith of these Christians was expressed in mutual love and sustained by their strong hope in the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is the assurance of attaining the treasures of the kingdom preached by Christ that sustains the faith and makes it weather through violent storms.
Thessalonica was the capital city of Roman province of Macedonia, and it was a cosmopolitan city, having inhabitants from different cultures and nationalities. It also had a pluralistic religious environment, with many temples to diverse deities. The temples to Greek gods, Egyptian gods and Roman gods adorned the city. Despite the idolatrous nature of the city, the Christians are acknowledged in the letter as having convincingly abandoned the worship of idols and embraced the living God preached by Paul and his companions.
Their faith was so eloquent that they became a shining example to all believers in Macedonia, Achaia and other Greek cities. As Paul expresses it, “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it” (1 Thess 1:8). An authentic life of faith is usually an inspiration to all around.
The Joy of Genuine Surrender to God
Worshipping God authentically means worshipping Him in spirit and in truth. Those who do so radiate joy wherever they go. The Psalmist of Psalm 149 invites us to keep rejoicing in the Lord with whole and sincere hearts. Such joy in the presence of God is best expressed through singing, dancing, and making music with timbrel and harp. Such expressions of joy are supposed to be reflections of deep religious conviction and authentic, childlike affection in the presence of the Father. Having the praise of God in one’s mouth is a powerful way of acknowledging God’s benevolent presence in all aspects of our lives. It is a deep experience of the Lord who takes delight in His people and crowns the humble with victory.
