Living His Word
Then he said to them, "You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God." - Luke 16:15
Most people want to look good in public. Most people want to appear to be upstanding, upright, and respectable. For some people, however, the appearance projected to the public is all that matters. For some, the appearance is everything. It's a mask necessary to cover up the real motives of the heart. The Pharisees in Jesus' day wanted to appear righteous in public, wanted to project a love for God, but God knew what was in their hearts. He knew that what they really loved was praise from people (John 12:43) and money (Luke 16:13-14).
The world, however, honors what the pharisaical do. The world honors those who put on masks and construct fronts designed for public consumption. The world honors them because the world only cares that it looks good, not that it is good. The world goes along with the show because the world wants the approval of those that exalt themselves in public and lift themselves on high. If you want to get ahead in the world, then you should never look behind their masks and fronts and you should never question their motives.
God, on the other hand, hates what the pharisaical do. God detests the masks and fronts whose only purpose is for show. God detests them because He wants what is good, not what merely looks good. God is more gracious to the wretched sinner who truly repents from the heart than the self-righteous Pharisee whose heart never repents for anything. Indeed, God will justify and exalt the sinner, but condemn and humble the Pharisee (Luke 18:13-14). If you want to get on God's good side, then you better drop the masks and fronts and you better straighten out your motives.
God wants true disciples who do His will from motives that are sincere and genuine, not Pharisees who put on public shows of righteousness for the praise of people and the benefits they confer. God detests the artificial impressions that are highly esteemed by the world, but are born of motives that are actually evil.
We should examine the motives of our hearts on a regular basis. We should ask ourselves why we do the things we do. Are we true disciples, or just a bunch of Pharisees?
© 2016 by Bible League International
