1687. Without Vs. Within

Without Vs. Within

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess" (Mat_23:25).

We are now coming to the climax of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy. It comes under two divisions.

1. The Cup and the Platter–Blindness

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess" (Mat_23:25).

The Lord Jesus told the Pharisees plainly that they were blind, else they would have cleansed first that which is within, that the outside might become clean also.

This folly of Phariseeism is seen on every hand. The worldly church, and the churchly world, are alike given to washing the outside of cups and of platters, forgetting the fact that the inside is full of extortion and excess.

Innumerable societies, pressing forward world betterment, are emphasizing reformation and ignoring regeneration.

The anti-cigarette league, the anti-saloon league, the anti-gambling league, and all the rest, deal exclusively with the outside of cups and platters. They forget that from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, etc.

They forget that an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit.

They forget that a bitter fountain cannot bring forth sweet water.

It is wasted time, wasted energy, wasted money, to clean up the outside, when the inside is left-untouched.

2. Whited Sepulchres–Hypocrisy

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Mat_23:27).

The stream can never rise above its source. The scribes and the Pharisees sought to clean cups and platters on the outside, because they themselves were whited sepulchers, beautiful on the outside.

They knew nothing of the righteous inner life.

The majority of men and women, given to the cleaning up of the outside of cups and platters, may themselves be no more than whited sepulchers.

The Pharisee wore his outer garments with spotless whiteness. This was his boast, his glory. Within, the Pharisee was a sepulcher full of dead men's bones because his heart was altogether unclean and corrupt.

The Pharisees professed, what they knew they did not possess.

The Pharisees proclaimed, what they knew they had not attained.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR