Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Have you ever been a victim of false advertising? I have. Here are a few examples: I went online to find a photographer to do portrait photography for one of my consultants in my business. The company advertised that they would find a local photographer to take our picture. We paid them. They said they found a local photographer. Then they said that person was no longer available. And then a new person would be more expensive. I quickly assessed that this was a scam. The advertising was false.

In another example, I had somebody offer to install my TV, which was attached to an online purchase I made from them. Since over 90% of the TVs currently installed are mounted on the wall, I figured that’s what I was paying for. Little did I know that the $40 installation charge was just to include putting the feet on my TV. That didn’t quite seem right either.

Jesus is calling out the Pharisees for false advertising here. They advertise that they are perfect, flawless, blameless, and the epitome of spiritual health. He compares them to a whitewashed tomb. No matter how fancy you make the tomb on the outside, there is no denying the fact that there is a dead body/bones inside.

The outward appearance, compared to the reality, was such a stark contrast for the Pharisees. Their hearts were corrupted by pride, greed, anger, and hatred. They could not see the truth when it hit him in the face. How did they become this way? It was compromise after compromise after compromise.

Today we see Christian leaders who at times fall. Some repent and seek the Lord in humility. Others can’t bear the thought of having to face those that they lead and so they turn and lead a sinful life. We need to pray for our Christian leaders that they will stand firm in their faith and be humble and accountable to the Lord for their actions. We need to pray for strength to resist temptation.

And for myself, I pray that God will keep me humble, hungry, and spiritually healthy on the inside!

Lord, thank you for this passage, which calls out the false advertising that many subscribe to in our life circles. They say they trust you with their life, but when presented with a choice to follow you or to make life comfortable, they choose comfort. Lord, Jesus, you have my heart. I pursue you. Keep me faithful and humble, I pray. And may I always chose you and sacrifice over comfort.