The hypocrite lives for the present by seeking his reward from the praise of man (Matthew 6:2). He finds his greatest joy only when men shower him with the praise he so desperately seeks. According to scripture, this joy is only temporary. As soon as the hypocrite does something to gain the praise of man, he becomes jealous as he sees others accomplish greater feats. When the hypocrite loses man’s attention and praise, he becomes distraught and seeks more aggressive ways to win men’s lost admiration. Only those ignorant of God’s ways would want to live such a horrible existence! This life yields no lasting peace or joy which is the very outcome offered by God for those who live for Him and love Him. For the hypocrite, nothing remains constant. His standard is always changing and bar ever raising while the faithful Christian joyfully seeks to please the never-changing God (Malachi 3:6).
Reverence denotes giving respect and honour. The scripture demonstrates this truth when men bow before a person of high office reflecting their reverence for the office. The Bible marks this bowing down out of respect as an act of reverence (2 Samuel 9:6; 1 Kings 1:31). God's word marks the refusal to bow as showing disrespect and a lack of reverence (Esther 3:2, 5). Every Christian should consistently demonstrate an adequate understanding of biblical reverence. Why? There is only one way to serve God acceptably: with “reverence and godly fear.” Today's verse teaches that reverence entails some relationship to fear, though reverence is not fear. Since men cannot serve God “acceptably” without reverence, living reverently toward God remains an essential element for a healthy Christian life.
