Practicing What We Preach

Day 226: Matthew 23

Wow. Matthew 23 was very eye-opening for me. I mentioned in a previous post that Jesus really gets on to the religious leaders because of their hypocritical ways, but in this chapter, wow, he is harsh. He tells the people and his disciples that they should follow the teachings of the religious leaders and the Pharisees but that they shouldn't follow their example because they don't practice what they preach. They are hypocritical--appearing to follow the laws but in reality being hateful and despicable. Jesus argues that the Pharisees and the religious leaders are clean and pretty on the outside, but their hearts are filthy and dirty.

And what will their punishment be? According to Jesus, sorrow awaits them. He says this phrase over and over again. He even says that these religious people will be held responsible for the deaths of all godly people OF ALL TIME (v. 35), including Abel who was killed by Cain. Wow. Jesus is serious about one thing: he wants us to practice what we preach.

Of course it's easy to think, "Those Pharisees. Those hypocrites." and not to see ourselves in them at all. But it is the religious people Jesus is addressing here and it would do people who consider themselves religious to consider how we might be like these people Jesus condemns. Are we hypocritical? Do we want others to see our good deeds, even though our hearts are evil and hateful inside? Do we have unpure motives? How are we like the Pharisees? What might Jesus be saying to us?

For me, he's reminding me that purity begins in the heart. Outward deeds that are good do not mean that they come from a pure heart, and a pure, clean heart is really what God wants from us. He doesn't expect perfection by any means, but he does expect us to practice what we preach--not to deceive and be hypocritical. This lesson is one we've heard over and over in our lives, but it's obviously a very important one to implement. The kingdom is at stake when we don't practice what we preach, and for unbelieving people, hypocrites are what they simply find unbelievable.