Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.”
Most people want to look good in public. Most people want to appear to be upstanding and respectable. For some, however, the appearance projected to the public is all that matters. It’s a mask necessary to cover up the real motives of the heart. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day wanted to appear righteous in public, projecting a love for God, but God knew what was in their hearts. He knew that what they really loved was praise from people (John 12:43) and money (Luke 16:13-14).
Sinners haven’t changed much over the centuries. The modern world also honors those who put on masks and construct fronts designed for public consumption. The world honors them because it only cares that they look good, not that they are good. The world goes along with the show because the world wants the approval of these exalted ones. It teaches you that if you want to get ahead in the world, then you should never look behind their masks or question their motives.
God, on the other hand, hates what the pharisaical do. God detests the masks and fronts that are only for show. God detests them because He wants what is good, not what merely looks good. God is more gracious to the wretched sinner who repents from the heart than the self-righteous Pharisee whose heart never repents for anything. Indeed, God will justify and exalt the forgiven sinner, but condemn and humiliate the Pharisee (Luke 18:13-14).
God wants true disciples who do His will from motives that are sincere and genuine, not Pharisees who put on public shows of righteousness for the praise of people. God detests the artificial impressions that are highly esteemed by the world because they are born of motives that are actually evil.
We should examine the motives of our hearts on a regular basis. We should ask ourselves why we do the things we do. Are we true disciples, or just a bunch of Pharisees?
By John Huisman, friend of Bible League International
