Seeing The Whole Picture

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 few years ago on a visit to the dentist, I was reminded just how deceiving initial impressions can be!  I had been having some twinges of pain and knew I needed to see someone about it but keeping the appointment was a major step forward for me because I dislike the dentist’s chair a great deal.  But when I arrived for my appointment, I was pleasantly surprised by my dentist and her staff.  They took great care of me and provided excellent care.

As soon as I sat in the chair, a series of X-rays were in order.  They would show the true condition of my teeth and determine what needed to be done.  At first glance, the films showed only that the tooth in question might need just a filling.  However, one more film placed in a slightly different location, revealed that more damage than originally thought was present inside the tooth.  The dentist commented that from the outside, the tooth looked great; but on the inside, it was, quite frankly, a mess!!

And so my Odyssey across Root Canal Sea began.  Once opened, the decay hidden by the tooth’s white enamel shell was exposed. That’s when I began to feel little indications that all was not well inside.  As we continued with the procedure, I could still feel pain.  So the dentist decided to stop, place a temporary filling and send me home with a load of antibiotics to kill the infection over the next week.  We will try again to complete the procedure, this time with most of that decay knocked out by the antibiotic!

What a detailed and true to life picture of the words of Jesus found in Matthew 23:27, "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 dead men's bones and everything unclean.”  In this passage from Matthew’s gospel, Jesus takes the Pharisees to task!  This particular passage, labeled as the six woes, still speaks to us today about our walk with the Lord.

The Pharisees were the most religious men of their day.  They revered the Law and did all within their power to keep it.  They were so afraid of breaking it that over the years they had developed a myriad of traditions to keep them from becoming lawbreakers.  The only problem was, they began to worship and revere their tradition more than the Scriptures.  They confused their priorities, making them appear to honor God’s law while down deep they worshipped their own tradition.

This is why Jesus called them hypocrites.  Outwardly they looked religious and did all the “right things.”  However, inside, down deep where it really mattered, they were filled with decay.  They practice the letter of the law but not its spirit.  They made converts only to honor themselves rather than honoring God.  Much like my tooth, they looked good on the outside but were filled with decay on the inside.

Today, so many people are trying their best to make a good impression and look religious.  Unfortunately, some of these very people fill our pulpits, teach our Sunday school classes, or serve as deacons, elders, or fill other leadership rolls within the church.  We must be willing to let God examine us and plumb our inmost beings if we ever hope to be clean and free from decay.  What you see isn’t always what you get!  When was the last time you let God really examine your life?  Won’t you let Him do that today?  You’ll be so glad you did!