A Case of Mistaken Identity

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Imagine you’re an actor. The world is your stage. Wearing a figurative mask, you assume a false identity by impersonating someone else. The rest of the cast is taken in by your masterful drama and you are applauded for your performance.

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Sound crazy? People do this more often than we realize. Take the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day. They saw themselves as Israel's religious elite, convinced they enjoyed God's special approval because they were more righteous than everyone else. Even the people were deceived by their charade, regarding them as the model of Judaism. In Matthew 23, Jesus pulled back the curtain on the scribes and Pharisees, exposing them for who they were.

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They walked with an air of piety, meticulously tithing even the smallest produce, yet neglecting the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith (Matt. 23:23–24). While appearing devoted to God, they mistreated others, exposing their righteousness as a sham.

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Ritual purity was extremely important to the scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 23:25). They carefully washed themselves and their vessels but neglected the purity of their hearts. Though outwardly righteous, they remained inwardly morally and spiritually defiled, exposing their religion as show.

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Jesus then compared them to whitewashed tombs (Matt. 23:27–28): beautiful on the outside, but filled with death and uncleanness within. So too, the scribes and Pharisees appeared righteous but were inwardly full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

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They were a case of mistaken identity, portraying a façade of holiness to mask inward corruption.

Are we a case of mistaken identity? Does what people see outwardly truly reflect who we are inwardly? Or are we assuming a false identity?

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The more our outward person reflects our inward person, the more authentic we become. If we're afraid for people to see who we really are, then we need a transformation from the inside out. David understood this. He recognized that God desired truth in the inward parts (Ps. 51:6), so he prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Ps. 51:10). David wasn't interested in polishing a false identity; he wanted a heart that reflected God's own. So should we.

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When we play the role of an actor, wearing a figurative mask to convince others we're someone we're not, it isn't just a case of mistaken identity; it's hypocrisy. So don't polish a mistaken identity. Rather, pursue a true Christlike identity.

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Written by Craig Ressler