Matthew 23:27–28 (ESV)
Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees (6th Woe)
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.
I was talking the other
day to some people about eating liver. I hate liver. But when I was at a cafeteria, they had some fried liver that looked great. I finally decided to get it and was excited about it. It looked so good, that I had to like it. My
wife simply shook her head. With all eagerness, I cut a bite and ate it. My wife asked me “How was it?” I smirked and said… “It tasted like liver”. No matter how well it looked on the outside, it
was still liver on the inside. In today’s reading, Jesus describes the scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites, because they look righteous on the outside, but are as unclean as dead bodies on the inside. Again, they are teaching “Do as
I say, not as I do!”
I pray: O Lord, I have been washed clean through my baptism where you washed me white as snow. Help me to not only talk
the talk, but to walk the walk. Even more important, show me my errors and help me to repent and to trust the faith you have given me. Amen.