“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." (NIV)

It's that time of year in Alaska where, if you own a dog, you might be wishing you didn't. I will never forget the regret I felt during my first spring in Alaska as I waded through the absolute turd swamp that my backyard had become after only occasionally scooping the poo during the long winter months. Never again, I swore, would I let things go like I had that winter.  

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Here's the thing, though: when snow is on the ground, it never seems that bad! The little dollops either sink down into the snow, blissfully out of sight out of mind, or a blanket of fresh powder glazes the yard the next morning, transforming it once again into a whitewashed winter wonderland. And yet, as Break-up reminds us all too painfully, the whitewash of snow might give the appearance of cleanliness, but it does absolutely nothing to wipe out what's truly beneath the surface.  

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Jesus didn't live in a land of frozen dog poo, but he did have an equally offensive way to describe the state of the hypocritical religious leaders' hearts: "You are like whitewashed tombs," He said, "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."  

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Although we don't really have "tombs" like this anymore, the practice in Jesus' day was to paint the outside of tombs white to mark them clearly as a place that held death. The contrast is surprising: a clean white exterior, rather than indicating purity, actually served as a warning to stay away from what was unclean. As Jesus calls out the religious leaders, who would have prided themselves on being ritually clean and spiritually pure, he emphasizes that the outward appearance of a person can easily belie the true contents of the heart.

As we prepare our hearts to serve our community at Impact Alaska next week, we too should heed Jesus' words. When you consider your heart for serving others, whether it's yard work on a special Sunday or even just during your regular daily work, what’s below the surface?  

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Are you putting forth a whitewashed exterior to the world, but hiding true motives under a blanket of fresh snow? Motives like...seeking the approval of man, receiving gratitude from others, being needed, or feeling important...We've all been there! Jesus' warning rang just as true for the religious leaders of his day as it does for us. BUT, here's the difference, I pray: You, friend, have a heart that is ready to listen to Jesus’ warning and ask him to change your heart!

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At the end of this passage, Jesus’ anger turns to grief as he laments over a people who "are not willing" to be gathered and changed by his love and grace (vs. 37). In contrast, may we instead bring our willing and humbled hearts to the feet of Jesus today.  

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As the snow melted and I uncovered what was beneath the whitewash that spring, I knew something needed to be different. I couldn't live this way anymore! And we have the same opportunity to bring the "tombs" of our hearts to Jesus today and ask him to make us new, inside and out. As we prepare to serve next week, may we bring the impure motives of our hearts to the Lord, asking him to give us HIS heart – the only one that is truly pure and fully clean – to serve others!

Allow these verses from Ezekiel 36 and 37 guide your prayer today:  

"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws... I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life...Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them."  

Father God, breathe your new life into us this week! In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, amen!