Give Up Mockery For Lent

Why do people make fun of other people? What is the root cause of that?

We all know how it works. Someone comes over to you and wants to you about her, or about him. There's something wrong with that person. There's something weird about that person. There's something about that person that makes me laugh because that person is so stupid or weird - I hate that person - don't you? What do you say, when someone comes over to you and wants to make of someone?

Do you laugh? Maybe you feel flattered that this person is talking to you. You feel a little higher on the popularity ladder - I must be popular if people are coming to me and making fun of others to me. Or maybe you feel relieved - at least she's not making fun of me. Maybe I should join in so that no one starts making fun of me.

Do you know what causes people to make fun of others? It's one of seven deadly sins. It's the sin we talked about yesterday. It's pride. When you're proud, you are pathologically in love with yourself. You're so in love with yourself that you have to cut others down to make you feel about yourself. Proverbs 21 says "The proud and arrogant person - mocker is his name - behaves with insolent fury." The Bible puts the sins of pride and mockery together. As God prepares to destroy one of the enemies of Israel, he says, "This is what they will get in return for their pride, for insulting and mocking the people of the Lord." (Zephaniah 2:10).

This week, we are making an effort to give up the sin of pride. And that also means to give up the sin of cutting down others. Let's repent of that sin. Let's go to the cross. There we see the most mocked person I the history of the world, and that is Jesus Christ. It's amazing, that Jesus came down to this planet and faced all that mockery in order to take away our sins. He did this for you, so that could be forgiven for every time you've ever made fun of someone else. In the eyes of God, that sin is gone, because of Jesus.

Because of that forgiveness and grace, live in a way that brings glory to God. It won't be long and you'll feel the desire to cut someone down again. That's your pride. Don’t give in. Remember, that sin has been paid for. It won't be long, and that friend of yours will come up to you and start ripping on people again. Don't join in. Make it uncomfortable for your friend. It's a sin that your friend needs to stop, and God has put you right there to help your friend do that.

And if you're sitting in homeroom right now, thinking to yourself, I’m glad I'm not like those people who make fun of others - I would never do that sort of thing. Be careful, Pharisee - that sounds like pride to me. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone. The new has come." Be new. Be humble. Get rid of the pride and the mockery. Honor God, and love your neighbor. We pray…

Lord Jesus, forgive me for sins of pride. Forgive me for pridefully mocking others. Take my sins away, and made me a humble Christian who loves others in the same way that you love me. Amen.