Bottom line up front: Being vs. Seeming

Context: Over recent weeks and months, I have taught a group of 50-60 people the Gospel of Matthew verse-by-verse. Currently we are in chapter 15. The first 20 verses of Matthew 15 are about being rather than seeming. Jesus rebukes the religious posers/Pharisees. He teaches the people that our motives are known to God. Therefore, we should be genuine rather than fakes.

Here’s the passage:

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Mt 15:1-20, ESV)

Teaching & Encouragement: The Pharisees were emblematic of posers. They perfected religiosity. But their hearts were cold—both to God and to others. Jesus teaches that he is God, that he knows our hearts. He knows us through and through. This is why his people are to keep short accounts with him. Because nothing is hidden that will not be revealed. We need to be a people who are rather a people who seem.

Being vs. seeming, in other words. As I reflect upon decades of ministry now, there have been many times that I have been unable to keep the tears from coming when I’m teaching the Scriptures. I have had to stop preaching and/or teaching at times, in fact, just to gather myself emotionally. Why? Because God was teaching me—long before the message with which I was charged to herald—that, I, am known to God, and that there’s no place to hide from the Holy One. And that we are called to be the genuine. May we strive to honor the Lord by being rather than seeming.