“Bones Of The
Dead”
“Woe
to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of
your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important
matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced
the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a
gnat but swallow a camel.
“Woe
to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the
outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and
self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish,
and then the outside also will be clean.
“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. In
the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the
inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
“Woe
to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for
the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 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.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the
descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
Matthew 23:23-31
Many
of us say we follow Jesus Christ. We should ask ourselves whether our actions
mirror our words. Do we do what we say we will do? Do we live a Christian life,
inside and out?
Our
inner attitudes should pour out through our words and actions.
Consider
the state of your spiritual house. If people look beyond the outward display,
will they discover an authentic heart?
God desires that our actions be a reflection of a pure heart.
Our Daily Bread –