April 21 - Crocodile Tears

 Read today’s texts first: 1 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 8; Psalms 57; 58; Matthew 8

MAXIMize YOUR DAY
 Pride, selfishness, hypocrisy, meaningless tears, can
overtake any life that stops recognizing God’s authority.

If you are ever eaten by a crocodile, let’s say while vacationing in Florida, you may feel better knowing that the croc is crying at the same time. You won’t feel better, though, after learning there is no remorse behind those tears – it’s merely an emotionless, physiological reaction. Hence the term, “crocodile tears” - applied to hypocrites who say they feel bad but their behaviour doesn’t change.

Saul provides several classic examples. He had so many God-given opportunities to turn his life around. Samuel, his son Jonathan, his own soldiers, and now David, all confronted Saul, some more than once, about his self-centeredness, to no avail. Almost every time, there was apparent repentance (15:24,25; 19:6; 24:16-21), but no change. In our story today, when David refused to retaliate against Saul when he inadvertently mistook David’s cave for a porta-potty, Saul was so overwhelmed by David’s mercy that he “wept aloud.”  But the tears were a “croc” and a few days later he went out with 3,000 of his best men on another search and destroy mission, with David as his target.

I’m not sure we can say that Saul never felt remorse, but we can say that he seldom acted on that remorse. True repentance requires change. It literally means “to change one’s mind for the better,” to stop going one way, turn around, and go the other way. Saul illustrates what James was talking about: For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like (James 1:23,24). He later explains that faith without works is dead (2:20, 26).

Some who dismiss free will might say that Saul was never a believer and his true colours surfaced later in his life. I believe the Bible suggests otherwise. Saul started out after his anointing as a humble, teachable man of God, at one point filled with God’s Spirit and prophesying. But human pride hardened his heart and twisted his thinking. It can happen to any one of us, and it can happen to me. Pride, selfishness, hypocrisy, meaningless tears, can overtake any life that stops recognizing God’s authority.

I love the emphasis of Christ’s authority in our NT reading today. Leprosy, paralysis, fever, windstorms, even demons are subject to the power of Jesus. If we forget that we too are subject to Jesus, and start serving ourselves instead of Him, pride will begin to pervert our hearts, minds, and actions. “Lord, that’s why I spend time each day in Your Word and at Your feet. Keep my heart soft and my tears real!”