Moment of Meditation: White-Washed Tombs (Matthew 23:27-28)

''"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" (Matthew 23:27-28).''

Jesus takes the last woe one step further with this one. Not only are the Pharisees and scribes dirty inside. They are dead inside. They are white-washed tombs.

We can think of the great beauty of the Taj Mahal or many of the ancient European cathedrals dedicated to the saints. They look beautiful on the outside, but we must remember that they were built to store a dead person's bones. These tombs look beautiful, but they are still tombs.

The Pharisees would not have their sins forgiven so they were still dead in their trespasses. Dead men cannot have life. Not without Jesus. Their attempts to live by the Law were futile. They were dead. No eternal life in them. This is their great hypocrisy.

Many Christians walk around in their hypocrisy. Sitting in the pew Sunday after Sunday but not believing what they hear from the pulpit. Put away your hypocrisy and embrace what your Lord teaches in the Bible. In His words you will find eternal life. Amen.