On Sundays I, Pastor Scott, have been doing a survey of the Old Testament. This past week we looked at 2 Kings 17, which takes place 200 years after Solomon. Israel (the ten northern tribes) had turned their heart away from sole worship of YAHWEH and He removed them from the land. The text describes the sin that was rampant in the land which I pointed out was anchored in their failure to honor God and have fellowship with Him. (i.e. Commands #1-4).
Seven hundred years later, as Christ walked the earth, the pendulum in Israel had swung the other way. The Jewish leaders of occupied Jerusalem were “VERY Holy!” They continually harassed Jesus and His disciples for how loosely Jesus held onto the traditions of the fathers and how they ate with sinners or picked wheat on the Sabbath. At the same time they were doing things like dishonoring their own parents by pledging their wealth to the temple instead of taking care of their aging parents. (Matthew 15:3-9)
Causing Jesus to say: “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
He had a number of run-ins with these mask wearers. Matthew records a long diatribe in his 23rd chapter; two verses that jump out at me are:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (23:27-28)
Let’s be careful not to just put on a veneer of righteousness! It will come off when the heat or pressure comes on and that will happen in the presence of the people we care about the most!
Pastor Scott
Grace Notes 