Pretenders

Pretenders

Read Matthew 21:1–23:39

25. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!
26. You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.
27. What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.
28. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29. What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you . . .
30. say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’” Matthew 23:25-30

Have you ever met someone who looked like they stepped out of a glamour magazine, yet whose attitude and character were as ugly as sin? It’s amazing how a person’s outward appearance can be so different from his or her character.

Today’s reading includes strong words for people who are so concerned with how they appear to others that they neglect to take care of their character. Jesus directs his words at some of the Pharisees and Sadducees, but we can tell they are for anyone who focuses on life’s minor issues instead of being concerned about what really matters to God. As you read, determine to focus on what’s on the inside, instead of merely working on your outward appearance.

The passage also includes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (which begins the final week of his life); more parables about the kingdom of God; and more vivid criticism of the scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus condemned some of the Pharisees and religious leaders for hiding their corruption and greed behind a veneer of good behavior (Matthew 23:25-28). They kept a long list of rules by which they defined obedience to the Law. But they also harbored attitudes and behaviors that dishonored the God who had given them the Law, including greed, conceit, injustice toward others, pretense, and pride. That’s the heart of hypocrisy—pretending to be what you’re not.

Appearing to be a Christian isn’t the same as being one. What’s inside your heart? Are you hiding behind a mask? Are you pretending to be a Christian? Are you covering up sins? Work on your inner attitudes and motivations and not on your image. Don’t be like the Pharisees. Don’t be a hypocrite.