Whitewashed Tombs

By Danny Saavedra

“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. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!”—Matthew 23:25–32 (NIV)

Do you know what words I never want to hear Jesus say as it relates to me? “Woe to you.” That is a legitimately terrifying place to be.

This entire chapter involves Jesus warning against hypocrisy, in particular, from verses 13-39, He zones in on the Pharisees and teachers of the law in a section commonly referred to as the “seven woes.” In verse 25, we see Jesus call them “whitewashed tombs.”

So, what does He mean by “whitewashed tombs”? Well, what is a tomb? It’s something that contained a dead body! There’s no life inside a tomb; it’s a place of deadness and decay. This described the Pharisees. These men looked like they had this vibrant spiritual life and connection to the Lord like they were mega holy, but their hearts were far from Him.

They missed the purpose of the Law and the heart of God altogether. There was no love, mercy, compassion, grace, forgiveness, or true care for those in need. It was all about them. In essence, they made idols of themselves!

They believed they understood the Law and the purpose of God’s Word and lived according to their (incorrect) understanding. They enforced their worldview on others and looked down upon, rejected, and condemned all who didn’t live up to their standard. One commentary puts it this way: “The scribes and Pharisees, like fine whited sepulchers (tombs), looked very beautiful on the outside, but within were full of all uncleanness, and defiled everyone who touched them.”

Anyone who touched them? Yes! According to the Law of Moses, anyone who touched anything belonging to the dead was considered unclean. And so, as they came around and “taught” and enforced their view of the Law and their view of the Lord unto others, they were making them, as Jesus said, “twice as much a child of hell as you are” (Matthew 23:15 NIV).

So, where does this lead us? To this sobering reminder of the danger of hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Dare I say one of the biggest problems the modern church faces is that of hypocrisy; of beautiful, sleek, ornate exteriors and filthy, dead interiors. It’s a problem the world sees from a mile away, too! It hinders and limits our opportunities to share the gospel with people and is one of the primary reasons so many have left the church!

Too many of us are all too happy to act as judge, jury, and executioner toward the people outside the church—to fight that sweet, sweet culture war and condemn everyone in Hollywood, Washington D.C., in the media, all those evil social media influencers and celebrities and athletes and activists, all those “woke” people trying to destroy our otherwise heavenly American utopia. And yet, we turn a blind eye to and sometimes outright tolerate sin in the house of God!

Many put on a good show, knowing the words to say, but on the inside there’s no life – there’s spiritual death. The Holy Spirit isn’t there. Many are fooling themselves into thinking they’re saved but their lives and hearts are far from Jesus.

My final word for you (and me) today is this: Make sure these words of Jesus don’t apply to you!

Pause: Why is Jesus so hard on the Pharisees? What makes hypocrisy and self-righteousness so dangerous?

Practice: Read and take serious stock and heed of Peter’s words: “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5–11 NIV).

Pray: Father, in Jesus’ name, I ask You to reveal the true state of my heart. Am I fooling myself into believing I’m something I’m not? Does my life show I belong to You both inside and out? Or do I look more like a Pharisee? Regardless of the answer, Lord, I ask for Your divine help. Help me to make my calling and election sure through deeper and more genuine devotion to You. May my heart desire nothing more than to know, love, and glorify You. May my life and actions reflect that, as I walk with and become more like Your Son Jesus. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.