Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
Luke 12:56
The Greek word 'hypokrites' means ‘an actor’ – someone who pretends to be someone or something they aren’t before an audience. As a depraved Hollywood movie star might play the role of a virtuous hero on the silver screen, the scribes and pharisees assumed the roles of pious spiritual guides. While they failed miserably in their job description, these religious leaders were adept meteorologists. Of those wolves in sheep’s clothing, the Lord declared:
When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is. And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass. Luke 12:54-55
By making accurate meteorological deductions from atmospheric observation, the Pharisees exposed themselves. They demonstrated that they were capable of discerning facts from the evidence available to them; they showed themselves capable of discerning the advent of the Messiah prophesied in the Scriptures they claimed to uphold. Therefore, Jesus called them out as the religious imposters they demonstrated themselves to be:
Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
The evidence that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah was not lacking. Besides the many signs and wonders He had performed before their eyes, Jesus had come according to the time recorded in Daniel 9. Moreover, His rejection by the stubborn Jews fulfilled the description of Isaiah 53. Yet in spite of all this clear evidence, the Jews knew not the time of their visitation.
Except in the case of children, it is not possible to accept truth without letting go of a cherished opinion. The discernment of truth is a spiritual gift that all are endowed with to a greater or lesser degree. Yet whatever our endowment, the efficacy of this spiritual faculty is relative to the humility we are willing to exercise.
Christopher Sparks