The Jesus Bible Reading PlanSample

COVERING UP THE REAL PROBLEM

God’s rage burned against Jerusalem’s false prophets, and his message was clear: Their city was going to be destroyed because of the sins of its inhabitants. Still these deceitful prophets gave God’s people a false sense of hope. They reassured the people that their society’s problems were not that bad, and they minimized the consequences of their sins. God spoke through Ezekiel to tell these prophets that they had “whitewashed” the sin problem in their city, covering over what was a deadly serious problem with whitewash paint. Because they covered up the problem of the people’s sin but never really dealt with it, God would crush these false prophets under that same whitewashed stone wall when the city was destroyed.

Jesus warned the religious leaders during his day in a similar way, saying they were like “whitewashed tombs” (Mt 23:27 – 28). From the outside, their religious exterior looked good and presentable, but their empty religious practices were like rotting decay and dry bones on the inside. Sinful people will never be made whole until their problems are addressed all the way down to the core. Covering up the problem of sin never makes that sin go away. Only Jesus can heal the brokenness and restore relationships between people, and between believers and God (Ro 6:1 – 14).

Jesus, please don’t ever let me be like whitewashed tombs. Help me to always be honest with you and with others. Amen.