Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (Matthew 23:28)
When I was a young housewife, I really enjoyed cleaning the house from top to bottom. The problem is, the cleanliness of the house will not last long. In the end, I understood that if I kept the house tidy enough, it would look clean, even though it really wasn't. Gradually I prioritized the neat appearance of the house, but I didn't clean it thoroughly. This compromise is not only profitable, but also convincing. Sometimes I get fooled too. But on a sunny day, the seemingly clean house becomes what it is—dusty and dirty.
In Jesus' day, the scribes and Pharisees were hypocritical by emphasizing the appearance of purity, but they ignored the purity of heart (Matthew 23:25). When the light of Jesus illuminates them, He reveals the truth about their physical religious life. He did not claim that their physical activities were wrong, but that they were very wrong for using these activities to cover up evil. For them, the inner cleaning was too late.
Keeping up appearances in household chores is not wrong, but pretending that we have a clean heart is wrong. Only those who are pure in heart will welcome Jesus with confidence when He comes. Is your heart ready? Or does your heart need to be cleansed? Now is the time to pay attention to that! -JEY
IN THE CENTER OF PURITY THERE IS PURITY OF HEART
*) Take from Daily Meditation