You are full of something.

What Is Inside Of You?

What Is Inside Of You? By Kirk Hunt

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.   Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

Matthew 23:27–28 NKJV

Jesus’ criticism of the Pharisees is sharp and pointed.  Our Savior called the elite religious leaders hypocrites.  Their sanctimonious words and ceremonies were a thin veneer over their sinful actions, thoughts and intentions.  All men and women are containers of something.  What is inside of you?

In those days, a tomb would be beautiful from a distance, but up close it would reek of death and decay.  Un-embalmed bodies would be placed on a shelf inside, then left to decomposition to run its course.  A carefully crafted and expensively finished sepulcher would be a shell around corruption and putrefaction.

In Matthew 23, Jesus is not criticizing the occasional harsh word or stray thought.  Instead, He rebukes sanctimonious words that end in naked greed, lust and exploitation.  Jesus does not value high-form ceremonies that are followed by base-form lives, devoid of any attempt at true holiness.

In these days, men and women speak high-sounding words, but their actions too often reveal gutter-level intentions.  “What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.”  Disciples of Jesus Christ, most of all, must make sure their actions match what they preach.

Think:       Inside of my heart, mind and soul am I full of God’s Word, or something else?

Pray:         “Lord, help me to be full of Your Word, Your grace and Your truth.”

 

Copyright © October 2018, Kirk Hunt

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