Can you imagine how you would respond if you invited a traveling preacher into your home for dinner, and while you were sitting at the table the guy started calling you a hypocrite and telling you that your fake front wasn't fooling him? My guess is you probably wouldn't be very happy about that, and I don't think the Pharisee who invited Jesus over was very happy about it, either. Granted, the guy probably wasn't just showing Jesus kind hospitality, but he sure got a lot more than what he bargained for. This story fascinates me because it goes completely against the way we portray Jesus in the church. Our pictures of Jesus usually include a Him holding a lamb in His arms or sitting with a circle of children around Him. We don't typically portray Jesus as someone who got in people's faces and nailed them with the truth. I find it challenging to think about the fact that Jesus' harshest words were directed towards those people who were religious. If Jesus came today, would His harshest words be directed at me? Hopefully not! What about you? Are you merely going through the motions of Christianity on the outside while living a totally different life on the inside? God is not interested in legalistic followers; He wants people who continually seek to draw closer to His heart. If Jesus was your dinner guest, what words would He have to say to you?
About Seth
Seth is a pastor, author, and speaker who lives in Batesville, Indiana. He is married to Kari, and they have two daughters, Madelyn and Noelle.
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