Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the
cup,[f]so that the outside also may become clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26)
Parents know their children—not only how cute they are and how smart they are, but also the traits that are challenging. Maybe it’s stubbornness, maybe it’s crankiness, maybe it’s selfishness, maybe it’s a propensity to tattle. The most loving of parents celebrate their children’s unique gifts, but also help them work on the rough spots to become even better people. That’s what love is.
Jesus uses strong language to describe the scribes and Pharisees. He accuses them of internal blindness, of being hypocritical. And yet despite His words, we know there is nothing He wants more than for these misguided leaders to change their ways. He wants with all His might that they would cleanse their hearts and souls so they can share in the hope of eternal life. Remember that He wants that with all His might for us as well. But we have to be willing to accept that gift, and the loving correction that comes with it.
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