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| LETTING THE INSIDE MATCH THE OUTSIDE |
| Is everyone a hypocrite? |
| "Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." 6:4 |
| Almost all of us live two lives: what people see outside and what is really going on inside. In school we learn what outward signs of attention will please the teacher. At a job we learn to "put up a good front" whenever the boss happens to stroll by. As if donning masks, we style our hair, choose our clothes, and use body language to impress those around us. Over time, we learn to excel at hiding truly serious problems. People tend to judge by outward appearances and so can easily be fooled. Acquaintances are often shocked when a mass-murderer is arrested. "He seemed like such a nice man!" they insist. The outside appearance did not match the inside reality. A Blast at Hypocrites Chapters 5-7 announce that the time has come for us to change not just the outside, but the inside. In Jesus' day, religious people tried to impress each other with showy outward behavior. They wore gaunt and hungry looks during a brief fast, prayed grandiosely if people were watching, and went so far as to wear Bible verses straped to their foreheads and left arms. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blasts the hypocrisy behind such seemingly harmless practices. God is not fooled by appearances. We cannot fake behavior to impress him. He knows that inside the best of us lurk dark thoughts of hatred, pride, and lust - internal problems only he can deal with. Jesus goes on to present a truly radical way of life, free of pretense. Familiar Yet Startling Words These three chapters, among the most analyzed in the |