So, Jesus spoke to them: “You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what’s behind the appearance. What society sees and calls monumental, God sees through and calls monstrous.
Luke 16:15 MSG
One of the truth we have learnt from God’s word is that the human heart is very deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). So, Jesus is here again, reminding us of this same issue, lest, we are caught up in this error. While we might be struggling to live this hypocritical life, the Lord would like us to know that there’s no good in the end of such life. Therefore, the Lord Jesus, says it is practically impossible to serve and please two masters (Luke 16:13).
Thus, I would like to invite you again to reflect on your life. “…you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” Are you not living the ‘righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees’? “Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next.” (Matthew 23:5 MSG) They do everything so that people will see them, they love to draw attention to themselves; “everything they do is for show.” (NLT)
If you would allow God to address you directly, carefully study what He said to the Pharisees. Are you not following the same path? They want to appear spiritual, but their main audience is other and not God. Their ‘showmanship’ has so consumed them that they have forgotten the fact that God sees what lies within. The One who examines hearts cannot be deceived by mere actions and appearances. He knows and is more interested in the motive behind the appearance.
The righteousness of the Pharisees focuses more on drawing attention to themselves; it is about making the outward look beautiful while it does not matter whether there is dirt and decay on the inside. It is about getting the people’s appraisals while what God is saying does not seem to matter as such. They even say long prayers so that they can appear to be eloquent and prayerful before others. (Luke 20:47)
Meanwhile, it is important to stress that what God’s Word is condemning is not necessarily the action but the motive. God is searching for the origin of every action, seeing through every heart to understand the reasons behind every action. So, whose applause would you prefer? Is it the monumental that God calls monstrous, or that which is pleasing and acceptable before Him?
So whose applause do you live for? God’s or Men’s.
