One term Jesus used more often than not to describe the Jewish, religious leaders of His day was "hyprocrites". In fact, Jesus used this one term at least 7 times in Matthew 23 alone. One of those times Jesus said:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every impurity. In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
Jesus condems these religious leaders for giving people a false idea of their true character. They wanted people to think that they were very religious, keeping God's law, and God's servants. When the truth was that they were not pleasing to God because of their heart was not committed to Him. They were simply going through the motions with hypocrisy and lawlessness in their hearts.
What would Jesus say about us today? Would we be considered "whitewashed hypocrites"? Oh that we would seek the forgiveness from the Father, that Jesus' warning would challenge us, and that the Holy Spirit would empower us to walk as men and women filled with Christ-likeness.
Praying today for:
(1) Lake O' the Pines = Berea
(2) State = Maine
(3) People Group = American Peoples
(4) Nation = Oman
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