Devout Pretender

(The podcast version of this blog is found here at FAB’s Podcast.)

Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.” (Matthew 2:7-8)

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I was involved once in Bible Translation with a devout pretender. It caught me unaware, and unsuspecting.

A young man from a country whose government was not favorable towards Bible translation work, and who had been studying theology and Bible in the USA, had come to Dallas to one of the courses we held on translation consultant training. Some of our trusted contacts in his country had assured us that they had thoroughly checked him out and his intentions were legitimate, and they believed it was acceptable for him to join with us for this training course. Sure, it’s hard to know someone fully, but they gave us their vote of confidence. We didn’t know him at all, but we trusted their appraisal and kept moving. 

I recall after one of the exams we gave as part of the coursework that he had scored the lowest in the class. He came to my office fairly broken and downcast regarding his failure. He was deeply embarrassed. I assured him that this wasn’t the end of his training and he had some lack that needed attention, but we could work together to overcome this. It was standard sort of counsel, encouraging him to keep improving. I admit I was a little surprised with the background credentials and experience he had presented that he had scored so badly, but there were language and cultural barriers, and some difficult material to grasp in a new learning environment. He accepted my input and continued on with the course.

Not long after that, I was in England for a different set of meetings. I got an urgent phone call from one of my colleagues in Dallas in the executive director’s office of our organization. He told me in no uncertain terms and even with some heightened emotion to have nothing further to do with that man, should he arise and cross our paths again. He had been unmasked. He was an imposter. It was learned that he had attempted to get in on the inside of our training organization to discover inroads that might lead to citizens and foreign nationals in his home country who were involved in prohibited Bible translation activity.

Though he appeared otherwise, he was a devout pretender. He manipulated us. He was out for his gain and purposes. He had appeared to be on the up-and-up, but we learned that it was a farce.

I realized that if he had accessed just a few more gateways, this devout pretender would have had the information he needed.

It seems clear that the science-men referred to in our Scripture text didn’t know Herod, who was a bona fide devout pretender. They had come from far away, and thought they were doing the right thing: finding out the whereabouts of the one pointed to by the royal star. Though not yet with proof in hand, they were sure of a king’s birth; where can we find him?

Herod urged them to press on in the completion of their mission. Look at his instructions to them:

• Tell me exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared
  • Go find the child—and I mean overcome every obstacle in finding him! “Leave no stone unturned!”
  • When you find him, send back news to me, because I’ll come join you in your worship (I mean, don’t you get the impression, I’m as excited as you are about this new king?! Can’t wait!)

I’m also struck by how Herod was the one who told the star-scholars about the prophecy of Bethlehem as the place of birth. The text doesn’t say that Herod called in some religious scholars to read Micah to them, or dialogue with them about Micah’s prophecy. It seems from Herod’s instructions that Bethlehem was firmly in his mind. He knew that was the place and he told them to get to it.

But we know from his later actions that his intentions were not honorable. He was lying. He didn’t want to join them in their worship. He wanted to wipe out the life of the baby who would be king.

It never ends well when we hold on to pretense with the appearance of being devout. We pretend to be one thing, but in the end, we are something else. Just like the man I referenced in the training course.

Herod knew exactly what he was doing, and why. His intentions were dishonorable, though he tried to make them look honorable. It was a phony Christmas celebration.

Are there devout pretenders among us this Advent? Those who are trying to get on the good side of family? Trying to win favor? Trying to look holy and acceptable? They don’t believe in Jesus, but just go along, trying to look like it, and thus keep the peace? They might admit privately that they are challenged by the life of the Christ child, but they can’t make the move to genuine faith, so they just keep up the appearance?

I am encouraged that God can break through any façade. Any false front. And even if we seek him for the wrong reasons, he’s there and waiting to answer! He wants to move us from devout pretender to fully-committed follower.

He is fully able to do that! If we let him.

“Father, take any pretense in our hearts and lives and smash it! Let us be fully transparent in our beliefs about you, and even in our doubts. We know there’s someone who can help lead us to Christ for answers and healing and wholeness. You see us completely. You know what we need. Unmask us, if that is our need. Thank you for accepting us with our doubts and questions, and for giving us the answers we need, when we need them.”