“You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You're like tombs that have been whitewashed. On the outside, they are beautiful, but inside, they are full of bones and filth.” (Matthew 23.27, CEV)
Whitewash is a kind of paint made from lime, water, and other ingredients. It is a fairly cheap way of painting something to make it look better, although it may look nice for only a short time. It turns up in the book Tom Sawyer (chapter 10) by Mark Twain when Tom was supposed to cover a nine-foot-high fence with whitewash, but he got his friends to do it for him.
It is often used in barns because it provides a measure of hygiene and some sanitary benefits. It tends to flake after a short period of time, or it can even rub off, although most of it may last for years. It contains calcium hydroxide, so a thin layer of calcium carbonate is on the walls and slowly reacts with carbon dioxide in the air. Three to four days after painting, the walls have a shiny white finish.
The tombs that Jesus compared the Pharisees with were also nice looking on the outside, but they covered up dirt and filth underneath. The Pharisees were hypocritical and said one thing and did another. They piled burdens on the people but didn’t help them with the heavy loads. They dressed extravagantly and wanted the best seats at the banquets and synagogues. They wanted everyone to see and admire them, and they were simply “show-offs.”
Other synonyms related to whitewash are coverup, deception, conspiracy, plot, concealment, misrepresentation, and our word “show-off.” What goes through your mind when you see or encounter a show-off? Do you admire their fancy clothes or sports cars? They want to be noticed, and they demand the spotlight. However, they may simply need to improve their self-confidence and sense of worth. They are whitewashing who they really are.
In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus says that people should not show off when they do good deeds: “When you do good deeds, don't try to show off. If you do, you won't get a reward from your Father in heaven. Instead, they should keep their acts of charity quiet and anonymous. Jesus promises that God will reward those who do good in secret.”
That seems so simple, but it is not! What about other acts that are good and even virtuous, like publishing a book or article, receiving an award for accomplishing something good, or being hailed as some kind of hero? Should we whitewash them, as a cloak of humility? Certainly not, if the good deeds bring praise and glory to God (Philippians 1.11).
When we do good deeds, we please the Lord because we are living a life that honors God. We will even get to know God better by doing such deeds (Colossians 1.10). Paul told Timothy to “Instruct them [rich people] to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have.” (1 Timothy 6.18)
When we stop doing evil, we make ourselves pure and become special: “Their [our] lives will be holy and pleasing to their Master, and they will be able to do all kinds of good deeds.” (2 Timothy 2.21) Paul wanted Timothy to obey the scriptures and “train God's servants to do all kinds of good deeds.” (2 Timothy 3.17)
He also reminded Titus that “Jesus treated us much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life. […] These teachings are useful and helpful for everyone. I want you to insist that the people follow them, so that all who have faith in God will be sure to do good deeds.”
We need faith to do them, but “Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!” (James 2.17). Remember Peter’s question: “Can anyone really harm you for being eager to do good deeds?” (1 Peter 3.13).
There is no need to whitewash good deeds and, if we try to whitewash our bad deeds, the paint will soon begin to flake and wear off.
Karl Franklin
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