Two words in to-days reading need careful examination. "Idleness" in Thessalonians does not mean "doing nothing" so much as acting in a way that is ineffective, worthless, disorderly, pointless or purposeless. For example, we can waste time "idly" leafing through magazines. In Mathew 12:36 Jesus warns us against "idle" words; that is unproductive or even counter-productive words. At the source of idle actions and words may lie a purposeless outlook on life springing from a vague, half-formed conviction that life is not really worth very much.

The other word we need to look at is 'hypocrisy' . Jesus accuses Pharisees of hypocrisy. Notice I say "Pharisees" not "the Pharisees" Many Pharisees were devoted, almost heroic upholders of the Law, written and oral, in all its ramifications. However, human nature being what it is the fierce demands of an almost impossible ideal were too much for some Pharisees. They fell into the trap of an empty show of faithfulness to the Law. Which of us are immune to such a danger if we are not supported by the accompanying grace of God?

To avoid idleness and hypocrisy we need the "fear of the Lord" mentioned in Ps. 128. "Fear of the Lord"? We mean, not a craven fear of punishment but a fear of losing someone incalculably valuable to us.