Hidden hypocrisy

Jesus spoke frequently about the problems of hypocrisy – not least in the Sermon on the Mount. ‘Watch out’, he said, ‘for false prophets, they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves’ (Matt. 7:15).

Pastoral care Steve Midgley

It’s a strident and sobering warning. But the question that’s been bothering me recently is this: what, exactly, are we to understand about the self-awareness of such wolves? Do they know that they are really wolves disguised in sheep’s clothing? Or can they sometimes be self-deceived, such that they believe they actually are sheep?