Matthew 23:28

So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

As not a few people have noticed, Scripture is full of harsh rebukes such as today’s verse.  It is tempting, particularly when one is writing something called “Words of Encouragement” to skip over such verses lest one have to rename this feature “Words of Discouragement”.  Yet, the fact remains that God’s word to us (which is, taken as a whole, the Best News in the World) has to be received in its fullness, not just in terms of “inspiring thoughts” suitable for needlework.  And so, in today’s verse, we see Jesus rebuking the hypocrisy and iniquity of the Pharisees (and of all powerful hypocrites down the ages).  How is this a “Word of Encouragement” to us?  First and foremost, it is a Word of Encouragement if we are, like 99.9% of the human race, people who have to put up with the nastiness of powerful people who will never be called to account in this life.  The message of Scripture here is “God is not deaf and blind to this stuff.  You’re not just yelling into the wind when you say, ‘That’s wrong!’”  God agrees with you and cares that you’ve been stomped on.  But even more, today’s verse is a Word of Encouragement even for hypocrites (which also includes 99.9% of the human race).  For Jesus never calls us to repentance (that is, to freedom) unless he means to give us the power to accept the call and be free.  So today, thank God for his tenderness and his toughness with us.  Both are gifts given us that we might be fully human in Christ.