Day 285, Year 1
Woe to Those Who Are Clean Outside But Sinful Inside!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.” (Matthew 23:25 NASB)
In today’s verse, the contrast between the sinfulness “inside” and the cleanliness “outside” of people highlights the ugliness and deceitfulness of human nature. Hypocrites use false piety, external cleanliness, goodness, and integrity to deceive or exploit the vulnerable while trying to avoid their sins being exposed. Since they usually had to put a lot of effort and energy into faking a clean appearance, they generally age faster than usual. Of course, those who appear older are not necessarily hypocrites. However, no matter how hard the hypocrites tried to conceal their deceit, it occasionally manifests. As mentioned previously, they embezzled the widow’s property with long prayers. They thought they could utilize evil and conceal wickedness for their own benefit. But in reality, they are being used by sinfulness and evil spirits. Eventually, there will come a day when they fail to cover up their wickedness. When that time comes, they will be devoured by evil, which is actually the evil spirits behind it.
Hypocrites are dishonest and self-indulgent. For them, to behave honestly depends on whether it is profitable. When they lie, they usually feel that they gain more benefits. As a result, they are dishonest so often and even collectively. This is what Jesus mentioned regarding self-indulgence; they do evil collectively and protect each other with evil intent.
On the contrary, we believers will strive to deal with the sins in our lives, because in this crooked generation, we can easily be corrupted and defiled by sins. We need to rely on the blood of the Lord Jesus to cleanse both our inner and outer selves, and thus truly experience a life He has purified. Furthermore, in the battle against evil, believers need to ask for help from Jesus and the Christian community. Therefore, we need to ask Him to grant us the spiritual discernment to penetrate the surface, to learn to see the good and evil in people’s lives, to perceive the hidden sins underneath superficial cleanliness, and to conquer them completely. Mutual encouragement among believers and intercession with each other can help us avoid being deceived, expose the hypocrisy around us, and build an honest life by relying on the power of the Lord. In the process of developing integrity, the wisdom and understanding of the Lord in us can enable us to live an upright and honest life without constant worry or anxiety. Finally, with the grace bestowed by God, we do not need to extort from others. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be free from the bondage of robbery and self-indulgence. When we experience less psychological stress and receive empowerment from the Lord, we can have increasing strength to do God’s commands.
Reflection questions:
1) Are there any deceptions in your life? If so, how would you address it with the help of the Lord?
2) Do you think that you are cleansed both inside and outside by the work of the Lord Jesus? If there are uncleaned areas in your life, what are the reasons? How would you rely on the Lord to be cleansed completely?