Woe Wrap-up, Luke 11:37 - 54

Woe Wrap-up

Luke 11:40 You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?

Woe to you, calamity is coming... that was Jesus' message to the Pharisees. He had been accosted for not washing before the meal the Pharisees had invited him to. They did their ceremonial washing and looked clean, but he saw their hearts. They were a bunch of pretenders... they worked to appear righteous, but they had never been cleansed by God (Ps 51:7).

He is the synopsis of what Jesus saw and warned them about.

• Do more than just obey rules to look good. Show acts of kindness through fulfilling the needs of others
• Don't be showy, always trying for attention. Be humble.
• You think you are something special... nobody cares about you. (That's a tough one)
• Lead with kindness, you may be the boss, but be workable.
• When you fail to listen and obey God, you are like all those before you who killed the prophets. You will be judged by the same standard. Do what is right.
• You know the way to God, you must not keep others from it. Help others to God.

Ladies, God made that person you see in the mirror. It is proper to keep it cleaned, well groomed and in shape. So exercise, eat right, brush your teeth, and put on that deodorant. But, remember what Paul and Peter said

• 1 Timothy 4:8 ⁸For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
• 1 Peter 3:3 &4 3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

As Jesus told the Pharisees, the inside is much more important than the outside. Take care of your soul, work to purify yourself. Eat the Word, then exercise your faith. Live out what you know is right. And leave the bad stuff behind - leave worldly pleasures alone. They will contaminate your inner being as well as your outer self. Yet, what you look like in the mirror is of little consequence. The mirror of your heart is God's word (James 1:23). Check yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5). Pass the test and you will hear Christ differently than experts of the law. He will say to you... Well done, no calamity in site!

~Dad