Matthew 23:27–28 (ESV) — 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
NOTE: The sixth woe could be view a couple of ways. One, the Jews whitewashed grave markers before Passover so that pilgrims would not accidentally touch one and become unclean (Constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible. Galaxie Software). In this case, rather than being a help for people, these men made others unclean. The second thought, and probably more appropriate, is that the whitewashed tombs were quite elaborate and beautiful on the outside. They stood out because they were whitewashed. But, in reality, there was only death and uncleanness inside. In Acts 23:3 Paul seems to quote Jesus, saying to Ananias (unknowingly the high priest):
Acts 23:3 (ESV) — 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?”
We can fool a lot of people with a show of Christian virtue. We can look good on the outside, but we can be spiritually dead on the inside. The woe is quite serious. We are not truly believers in God, but only riding a reputation as believers for our own status or advantage.
PONDER:
- Do I really know Jesus?
- Has Jesus convincingly changed my life or am I just show?
PRAYER: Father, I thank you for the miraculous change I experience in my life when I believed in your son. The experience of the Holy Spirit changing me, which has continued to this day, gives me confidence in my born again status. I am an adopted son of God. Thank you.
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