Priorities of the KingdomNäide

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE HEART COMES BEFORE APPEARANCE

MAIN IDEAS

• JESUS confronts the hypocrisy of Pharisees who were only interested in making an impression on the people.

• Their fake righteousness was mainly tied to certain external aspects that they could easily exhibit before the people.

• JESUS tells them that for God, a pure heart comes before the righteousness of religion and of appearances.

JESUS often had to deal with religious leaders who only desired to be appreciated by people. This desire to lift themselves up before people caused them to ignore the state of their hearts. Thus, while carefully tithing in order to be acclaimed by men, their hearts were filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness, for they had no care for justice, mercy, and faith.
It seems that being religious makes us prone to hypocrisy, as religious people are always interested in making a good impression and being admired by others. This leads to a lack of serious concern about the state of the heart itself. JESUS says that our priority should be a pure heart, which will be seen and appreciated by God; thus, our outer appearance will align with the righteousness of our heart.