Matthew 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. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
When Jesus said these words it probably upset a lot of people. The Pharisees of Jesus's time were divided from the communities they served. In the same way that some people in the Church are divided today.
As Christians, we need to do MORE than look the part! We must be Christians first in our hearts. As Jesus said, "First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." When will have truly accepted Jesus as our Savior in our hearts it changes us. This change is not immediate but the spark that we have for Christ can and will be stoked into a raging fire as long as we stay true to Christ.
It will be difficult, we will stumble, we will question ourselves, but we have the power of Christ in us that can overcome ANY obstacle.
If we take this passage and do some soul-searching in our lives we need to ask ourselves if we are being pretenders or contenders for Christ. Be a CONTENDER!
~Saved Outdoors Family