Housekeeping Of The Heart

Matthew 23:23-31

23"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. 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. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25"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. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27"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 dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

Bee's Thoughts:

It is in our human nature to want to look good and also to look at the outward appearances of others. This becomes very obvious when we see how most men choose women as their girlfriends/wives. They are attracted to their looks first before what's inside them. *sigh*

Tonight, we are reminded that what's inside a person is more important than what's outside. We need to be real, sincere, natural, in what we say and do and not be hypocritical about them. If not, woe be to us!


Dear Lord,
Search my heart tonight. If there is any wicked way in me, cleanse me and make me pure. Grant me strength to do what's right. Help me to to be real and true always even if it means I will become unpopular. What matters most is how you see me, rather than how others see me.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.