God Sees the Real You
He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. Luke 16:15
What do you do when no one else is around? Do your actions match the image you portray when someone else is watching? The teachers of the law and the Pharisees appeared to be the most righteous men among the Jews. They were given the places of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they were greeted in the marketplaces as “Rabbi,” a title of respect (Matthew 23:7).
But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had said, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, 
you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Everyone must have been shocked, especially the teachers of the law and Pharisees. They thought they were the best, the most righteous men of all.
Later Jesus said the people must be careful to do everything the Jewish leaders said to do because of their position: “But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:2-3). He added, “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long” (v. 5).
Jesus said these men had neglected “the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (v. 23). Furthermore, He called them “hypocrites” and whitewashed tombs “which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.” He saw hearts full of wickedness (Matthew 23:27-28).
What would Jesus say to me? Have I neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness? What stinky attitudes do I harbor inside while I smile on the outside? On what is my heart focused? How would you rate your righteousness? How would God rate your righteousness?
Help us to desire to be righteous in your sight, Lord God, rather than in the sight of others. Cleanse our hearts of pretense and double standards so our lives will please you.
DIG DEEPER
Read Matthew 23:1-28. What other faults did Jesus find in the actions of the teachers of the law and Pharisees? Which of these faults would Jesus find in you?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus took the Law of Moses to a higher level—not just our actions, he said, but also our attitudes will be judged. What specific attitudes does he point to in Matthew 5:21-48?
What’s the problem with trying to examine our own hearts and minds according to Jeremiah 17:9-10? How does the psalmist in Psalm 119:9-11 suggest we help to keep our hearts pure?
Read about a Pharisee who responded to Jesus’s warnings: Nicodemus
Nancy J. Baker
This devotion is part of a series on the But God events of the Bible.