Clean and Clean

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

CLEAN AND CLEAN

Matt 23:25-26

25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

NIV

We all want our homes to look good and clean when we have guests stop by. It is important to have a nice-looking home because it gives a good impression. This is the same with our personal appearance. We want to look good, have good clean clothes and even perhaps something that is a bit fashionable, or at least not frumpy looking. We certainly would not go out with messy hair. Our appearance is our first impression when we meet someone for the first time. We have known attractive people, especially women who when they speak reveal their ugliness. The scripture is clear that as we think in our hearts, so we are. Jesus also taught that it is not what goes into our body that defiles it or makes it unclean, but it is what comes out, or want we speak, for our words are what is in our heart, or mind, the inner man. This is what Jesus is telling the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. They pay so much attention to the outside, their appearance, so as to impress others, but inside, their inner man is not right with God. Greed is vile as well as self-indulgence, giving in to their own desires gives way to all sorts of inner problems. It is not good enough to look good, we must give attention to our inner person, knowing that we have areas in our lives that fall short of the glory of God. We know we have sin within, and it bothers us that at times we simply give in to that temptation. We cannot hide it from God, and we should not try to deceive ourselves by thinking we have no sin. That would be like the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. Although it is true, we do not want to sin or do those things we do not want to do, and we fail to do those things we want to do, much as Paul admits. But the fact is we know what the inside looks like, and we still want the outside to look clean. Maybe we do not admit the precise temptations that give us the most problem, but the fact is we do have to admit that we struggle with the inner man and the temptations that face us. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and call God a liar for we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. None of us are goody two shoes, and we should not give that appearance or impression. The only way we are clean is through the righteousness of Christ. He has cleansed us with his blood. As long as we are in Christ and He is in us, even though those times we fall short, God sees us as clean. He has declared us holy and blameless in his sight because of the blood of Jesus. Let us do our best, with the help of the Spirit to live in a manner that reflects that truth, clean and clean.