Day 23 – Integrity and Transparency
The fifth woe from Jesus to the Pharisees is all about integrity and transparency!
Matthew 23:25-26 (ESV)
“Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”
In modern words from The Message Version of Scripture:
Matthew 23:23-24 (MSG)
“You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.”
Wow, sometimes Scripture and Jesus’ words cut right through me to the core! This woe reminds me of my friend Dr. Don Davis from World Impact. My long time mentor, John Perkins, the grandfather of Christian Community Development, CCDA.org, says to make an impact on a neighborhood, you need to live in the neighborhood. My friend Don Davis adds to that. He says, “Make sure when you move into the neighborhood, that you are something when you move in! Make sure you are the real thing, that you are living The Word!” In other words, don’t look fresh and bright on the outside, while on the inside you are something else.
Lord, help me to be a person of integrity, a person who reflects your person and word!
Rev. Andy Bales
President/CEO of Union Rescue Mission