This passage is a continuation of Jesus’ condemnation of the scribes and Pharisees. Instead of trying to focus on every verse, I would rather center on just a couple verses that sum up the whole of what Jesus is trying to say. The scribes and Pharisees were guilty of following the minute details of the law, but failing to recognize the weightier matters of the law (23:23-24). Jesus mentions particularly that they ignored justice, mercy, and faith. Even though they obeyed the small areas of the law, they did not understand the underlying morality of it; in other words, they obeyed out of habit instead of obeying from the heart. Jesus goes a little further with His words – you cleanse the outside of the dish, but inside are full of extortion and self-indulgence (23:25). They were so consumed with what people perceived them to be on the outside that they didn’t care about the condition of their heart. In verse 27 Jesus even compares them to whitewashed tombs which looked good from the outside but in reality were full of decay on the inside. Outward change never affects the heart. The scribes and Pharisees appeared righteous from the outside, but inside they were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (23:28). I believe we live in a day where the outward is more important than the inside. We are consumed with other people’s perception of us so we go to great lengths to maintain our status; however, without a right heart attitude, outside change means nothing. Jesus wants us to inwardly love His law because that is what ultimately changes us. Consume yourself with God’s Word and allow that to change you.
Dear God, change me from the inside out.
