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White-Washed Tombs
Jason Budd
"Woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs
which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of
dead men's bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27).
If you hadn't noticed, it has snowed quite a bit recently. Yesterday
and today when looking outside I couldn't help but remark how
beautiful everything looked! The white, uninterrupted plains of snow
have a purity and cleanliness about them. The unblemished levels of
white snow shine brilliantly from the sun.
Unfortunately, this elegance doesn't
last long. As the reality of life and the necessity to go about our
regular activities emerges to the surface of our priorities, so does
the purity of the landscape get pierced and plowed in a removal
effort. As this happens, things turn from the sterile white to a
very dirty brown. The solid, shapely sheets of snow are ambushed to
reveal the true color of what lies beneath. The snow is no longer an
icon of relaxation, but of the dread of travel.
When Jesus spoke to the Pharisees in
the passage above, He was trying to plow through the clean
appearance they gave off. He knew that underneath they were not
being true to the people around them, or even themselves. While they pretended
to be examples of righteousness, buried below were envious and
self-righteous people who used the law, not for justification, but
for their own corrupt interpretations and practices. Jesus brought forth the reality of
who they were.
Take this as an opportunity to
analyze yourself. What impressions do you give off to the world? Are
they accurate? Are you a white-washed tomb? A muddy street covered
in snow? What would Jesus say to you? |
