Whitewashed Tombs

Some real-time reflecting for you on a gorgeous Monday morning...

Read in Matthew 23 this morning...Jesus' 7 Woes to the scribes and Pharisees. Some serious, in your face preaching that kicked my butt. Specifically, I journaled on verses 27-28:

"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. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

More than I'd like to admit, that describes me. It's my default mode and it's sort of what I grew up on. Way before I knew how to care for the condition of my heart and soul, I knew I wasn't supposed to drink, smoke, chew, or have sex. In other words, I knew how to clean the tomb way before I realized the death cooped up inside.

But who am I kidding...I still fall back into doing more to make the outside look good than to deal with the death on the inside. Here's a thought that hit me this morning:

A clean graveyard is still a graveyard. Death is obvious and life is absent.

On the surface, graveyards are pretty. Freshly manicured lawns, fresh flowers, beautiful stone markers...some even have historic chapels. But no one likes going to a graveyard. Not because they aren't nice, but because of what is inside and underneath. It's still a graveyard, no matter how beautiful it is.

Am I pretty on the surface and dead just below? In the short-term, people can be fooled by my whitewashed tomb and neatly trimmed lawn. But over the long-term, what is inside will work it's way out. It starts with the people closest to me and works out to people I only meet one time. If death resides in me, my family will reflect it. It will become obvious even to the most casual observer. They may not put their finger on it, but they'll scratch their heads and wonder, "Something's not right with him."

Jesus is never fooled. The Pharisees didn't fool Him and neither do I. He sees and knows it all. A surefire way to live without the blessing of God is to care more about the outside than the inside.

My choice today: trim the grass and wash the tomb one more time or come face to face with what's inside?

Comments

[kristi miller]

i really, really like this post.

[Mike Watkins]

Good word Jay. I once heard a pastor say that it is good for pastors to hear the gospel preached to them once in a while. It keeps us sharp and fresh. God bless!

[kim sanders]

Whoa Jay. Great thoughts here! I'm going to keep reading, but just had to tell you! BTW: Where will the church be? i have a co-worker I want to tell about your place. Lives in Blythewood, needs to hear these kinds of thoughts. Thanks.
Kim Sanders

[Kevin Womack]

Great insights! Very well written. Thanks for sharing this.

[jay hardwick]

thanks to all for your encouragement. just sharing how God is speaking to and dealing with me...challenging, gut-wrenching stuff.

@mike :: you are exactly right...and i would take it a step further to say that we must hear and receive the gospel personally before God can use us to say anything corporately. to reverse it is dangerous.

[milo]

nice analogy...i admit i thought "wow cool take on an old passage," when the reality is, this is what Jesus was saying anyway. why have i failed to apply to a modern setting? thanks for sharing