The Woes Continue

 

Matthew 23: 27-32 

 Shun Hypocrisy

²⁷ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. ³² Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

The woes continue as Jesus again hits us where it hurts. We can put on a false pious front but inside harbor unkind, even wicked thoughts.  We can do "all the right things" to look good and pious, but have inner thoughts "that would make a sailor blush." Jesus condemns such behavior and challenges us to concentrate on cleaning up the inner person. Then our outer actions will match the goodness and beauty we cultivated within.  Whee do I need to begin?  Am I ready to start "cleaning up my act" now? 

Bro. Rene

Dear Jesus, help me to rid myself of all contradictions between my thoughts and behaviors.  Make me genuine and true through and through. Amen.