What Jesus Did! 'What Sorrow Awaits! (6)' — Matthew 23:27-28

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Your Support Matters!

Our materials help people live for Jesus every day thanks to generous readers like you.

 Donate Now
[Jesus continued his condemnation:] "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs — beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness."
— Matthew 23:27-28 NLT

Key Thought

Jesus is relentless in his condemnation of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees. This "woe" or "What sorrow awaits!" does less diagnosis of the problem and speaks directly to the problem: "You are... beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity!"

For Jesus, pretentious externalism is hypocrisy pure and simple. Painting the outside only makes the death of character on the inside worse, because the paint disguises the death.

Today's Prayer

Father, forgive me for the times that I have faked my piety without repenting of my sin. Please forgive and cleanse me so that I may be pure through and through. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Psalm 19:14
  • Matthew 6:1, 16-18
  • 1 Peter 2:1-3

Comments

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Psalms 119:53
"My soul, feelest thou this holy shuddering at the sins of others? for otherwise thou lackest inward holiness. David's cheeks were wet with rivers of....."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'Give Thanks!' (Ps. 118:29)
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'Devious Plans for Assassination' (Acts 23:12-15)
"The next morning [after Paul's arrest and protection under Roman authority and after the Lord's assurance to Paul that he would preach in Rome] a..."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
2 Corinthians 12:9
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses,....."

Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 23:27-28 NLT — "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees.

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!