Mark Sorensen Early on in seminary, I was struck by a quote that came from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. When speaking of the Methodist movement and his hope for its future, Wesley said: “I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power.” That’s a pretty powerful image: having the form of religion but, inside, it’s dead minus the power of the Holy Spirit.
This thought sets up our sixth “Woe” from Jesus to the Pharisees beautifully. Take a look:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like a grave that has been whitewashed. You look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside you are full of moldering bones and decaying rot. You appear, at first blush, to be righteous, selfless, and pure; but on the inside you are polluted, sunk in hypocrisy and confusion and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27,28 (Voice)
Let’s unpack this “Woe”, shall we?
Each year in Israel a pilgrimage would take place where thousands would walk through the streets and hillsides. As a result of the many passing through, a common custom was for people to take lime, mix it with water, and whitewash the tombs so as to serve as a warning for people to stay clear of these places of death and not risk being ceremonially defiled by accident. So, these tombs were identifiable by their bright paint and appearance which would have been beautiful to the eye, however, they served as a warning to say, “Stay away. If you touch me, you will become defiled”. It’s these whitewashed tombs that served as the object lesson Jesus chose to use in this passage. The Pharisees, by all appearances, looked good on the outside but inside they were full of corruption, rot, and decay. What’s worse? if you were to come into contact with the Pharisees, Jesus was making the statement that they could defile you by their lack of God’s presence in the midst of their teaching and lives. For lack of a better term, they were the religious walking dead.
Ouch.
The lesson for the Pharisees was an important one, however, we can’t leave this lesson solely in the hands of the Pharisees. We must realize that spiritual death under a religious veneer is no less a possibility today as it was two thousand years ago. The truth? As Christians, we must remember that we’re called to live lives that mirror God’s love for us (found inside) while proclaiming Jesus’ love for the world through our actions (shown outside).
The challenge? Let’s let our outside match what’s inside. The world needs an accurate picture of God’s love.
