A Pause to Ponder God's Word
"More than a Whitewash"

I was running a little behind schedule when I realized that my shirt needed pressing before I could wear it. I quickly went to the laundry room and took out the ironing board and iron. As soon as the iron was hot enough to start I began pressing my shirt. As I began pressing the front left panel of the shirt a thought crossed my mind - "why not just press the front for that is all people will see under my suit jacket?" No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than another followed - "that's how many understand Christianity? Its just a pressing out the wrinkles others see in a person's life. It isn't a radical transformation of a person, only a reformation that helps people be nicer and a better member of the community."

In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus addresses this issue. In the first part of His sermon Jesus explains what true fulfillment of the law is. (Matthew 5:17-47) Then He illustrates how His disciples, whose righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, live out righteousness through acts of righteousness. In each illustration He instructs His disciples not to do their acts as the hypocrites do. (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16) The word hypocrites literally means, "to put on a mask, to play act." Jesus explains it in Matthew 23:27; "...you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but are full of deadman's bones on the inside."

Hypocrites are more than people who say one thing and do another. They are people who have reformed their actions, but have not been changed. They look good on the outside but are full of wickedness inside (23:28). They have ironed the parts that show so that everyone can see how righteous they are, when in fact they are not righteous at all. (6:2, 5,16) They are "people who honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. They worship in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by man." (Matthew 15:8-9)

You see, Jesus gets to the heart of the matter. He washes us from the inside out. Unless the heart is dealt with we can never be anything more than whitewashed tombs. For example in Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus reveals that the problem is not murder, it is hatred. Therefore, He deals with the hate in the heart. He cleanses it and replaces it with His love, making us peacemakers and ministers of reconciliation. In Christ we are totally transformed. Nothing else will do. New wine cannot be put into old wine skins. He cannot fill us with the new wine of His righteousness and His Spirit unless we are made new. The only way not be a hypocrite is to be made new, from the inside out. Only Christ can do that! This is our need and He has provided in full through His death and resurrection. Therefore, let us yield to Him and let Him cleanse us through and through!

By the way - I pressed the entire shirt!

Keep Close To Jesus
Pastor Gerry


A Pause To Ponder God's Word is written and distributed by Gerald Whetstone, Ordained Elder and teacher in the Church of the Nazarene. These devotionals may be transmitted, duplicated, used in part or in entirety without permission for nonprofit purposes only. Responses welcome. To Subscribe Click Here.
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