Jesus said, 23"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law--justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things. 24Blind guides! You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat; then you swallow a camel!
25"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy--full of greed and self-indulgence! 26Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too.
27"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs--beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. 28You try to look like upright people outwardly, but inside your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Dear Jesus,
Sometimes your teaching really hurts and today is one of those times. I am reminded just how much I am like the Pharisees. I have a lot of head knowledge that hasn’t been transferred to my heart because there’s a stiff neck in between. I’m often too busy trying to do the right thing that I lose sight of the most important thing - my relationship with You. Forgive me for trying to look upright outwardly, when inwardly my heart is empty and needs a lot more of Jesus.
Father, here I am again surrendering all there is of me to all there is of you. Shine your light on my heart and expose the darkness of my sin. Wash me Jesus. Purify my heart. Cleanse me from the inside out so that my heart will sparkle on the inside like my body does on the outside. When I am squeezed by difficult circumstances I want Jesus to pour out of me rather than anger, impatience, greed, selfishness, bitterness, jealousy, pride, gossip, and all other kinds of sin.
By your grace I will choose to sit at your feet because I love and adore you and want to learn to have a heart like yours. I long for holiness, faithfulness,and righteousness. Take my heart and form it. Take my mind, transform it. Take my will, conform it to yours, O Lord so that the next time I encounter a difficult person or challenging situation you will ooze out of me because I am filled with your Spirit. Amen.
How is your heart today? Are you playing religion or enjoying sweet fellowship with the Savior? Hand him your sin stained cup and he will wash it from the inside out with pure Living Water.
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