Hypocrite and Traitor

When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father. 2 Samuel 17:23

My wife showed me a story a while back about yet another prominent Christian leader who fell from grace. It turns out he was pretending to be one thing, while hiding a big dark secret. The various media outlets included the usual outrage and accusations of hypocrisy – He’s a traitor to our cause! – but my immediate reaction was to feel sorry for the guy. Having had my own moral crisis and having lived that double life, I know where he’s been, and I know where he is now. It is perhaps both a curse and a blessing to have been there. I’m not naturally good at calling out hypocrisy when needed. But I am capable of showing mercy, grace, and guidance to those who’re caught leading a double life.

So, when I read the story of Ahithophel – a traitor to King David – I find myself sympathizing with him. Ahithophel was once an advisor to King David, but when Absalom led a rebellion, Ahithophel switched sides. Then, when his counsel wasn’t followed and he fell from favor, he hanged himself. Most Bible commentaries treat Ahithophel as a traitor, like Judas, and he was. My sympathy though comes from understanding his motivation. Ahithophel probably didn’t set out to be a traitor. He apparently served King David quite well. In the insurrection though, he simply looked after himself. Perhaps the noble thing would have been to oppose Absalom, but Ahithophel was no warrior. He was just a guy who looked out for his own interests.

I find myself wondering what I’d have done in his position and I find that I don’t have to use my imagination very much. All I must do is to look at my own life and ask if I’ve displayed a pattern of living for God, even when it means sacrificing my own interests? Or have I lived for my own interests above all?

We can be hard on those Christian leaders who live a double life, but deep down, we must ask ourselves if we’re all that different. A lot of us claim to follow Christ but in our daily decisions, we live for ourselves. The fact that we’re not prominent Christian leaders only betrays the reality that we may not have any effective ministry at all, which is no protection from the accusation of hypocrisy. If our lives were scrutinized on CNN, would the world believe that we follow Christ? Or would they simply see more hypocrites who claim to follow Christ but who only live for our own interests?