“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. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” — Matthew 23:25-26
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NFL teams typically start with 90 players in training camp and gradually reduce their roster down to 53 active players and 16 on the practice squad. When so many people are part of an organization, it’s easy for some to get overlooked and feel isolated. So it’s helpful for some of the veterans to be on the lookout for anybody who may feel lonesome and include them in conversations or invite them to sit with them for meals. Words of encouragement go a long way too.
Jesus lived a perfect life, but He spent a lot of time with people who weren’t even close to being perfect. When the Pharisees and Sadducees saw Jesus spending time with outcasts who weren’t welcome at the temple, they couldn’t understand why Jesus would reach out to people who were not part of “polite society.” Though Jesus did go into the temple to speak with those who were already accepted by the religious community, He also went to the homes of people who weren’t part of the congregation. In so doing, Jesus rebuked the religious leaders by His actions and challenged us to see everybody as someone who might be redeemed by God if they listen to the Lord.
Even though Jesus doesn’t approve of dishonesty or any of our other sins, He ate meals with liars in order to speak to them about Heaven and challenge them to live a better life. Pharisees were very critical when they saw Jesus spending time with unbelievers. In response, Jesus told them He saw their dirty hearts that were covered up by their impressive outward, public behavior. “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. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean” (Matthew 23:25-26).
In order to prick our hearts when we are haughty and uncaring toward lost people, Jesus told several interesting stories about lost people who need to be found. Jesus spoke about how wonderful it is for a straying sheep to be brought home. “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep’” (Luke 15:4-6). Jesus’ heart is for the lost, and ours should be too.
May we not get so caught up in our busyness, pride or the works of our own lives that we overlook the very people God wants us to reach.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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