Whitewashed Tombs

“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." Matthew 23:27

They say “you should never judge a book by its cover.” But I have to be honest with you I do sometimes let the cover influence my decision when it comes to purchasing a book, especially if I have never heard of it’s author. Once in a while I will get lucky and get a book with good content or a good storyline. But more times than none I will get fooled. The same applies when it comes to Christian’s. Like the words of our Lord in the text, “they outwardly appear righteous, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones.”

It is so easy to dress up and pretend to be something we’re not. That’s what made Halloween fun for us when we were kids because we were able to be that super hero, fireman, policeman, movie star, or singer we wish we could be. For many Christians, Sunday is just another dress up day, pretending to be someone they want other people to believe they are or wish they could be.

Jesus would say in John’s Gospel to, “Judge not according to outward appearance but judge righteous judgement.” In other words, don’t be fooled. Don’t be fooled by the ones who are good at fooling themselves. Christianity always works from the inside out and not the other way. If Christ, who is life, dwells in your heart then the evidence of Christlikeness will manifest itself outwardly. But if the only fruit one sees in another is the fruit of death and decay then it is obvious that an empty grave abides within them.

A Pharisee will be your most faithful attendant, carry the biggest Bible, and wear the shiniest cross around their neck, but also at the same time never listens to a sermon, or at best if they do, thinks that the message is for someone else and not his or herself. He or she will occupy their minds with something else thinking that they are doing God a service just by being at church and getting credit for it. Unfortunately, we can be fooled and are fooled, but God isn’t!

This is why Jesus’ words in the sermon on the mount are haunting. Listen to what he He says in Matthew 7:21-23:

“Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

You can’t put lipstick on a pig and make it beautiful. It’s still a pig and loves to wallow in the mud. The mud of its own religious efforts, ideas, and standards. Putting lipstick on a pig is like what Jesus said about the Pharisees, “They draw near to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

Pastor Robby