How can the idolatrous sinner be reconciled to God?
Conflict Resolution vs Reconciliation - Lesson 3 - Receive God's Forgiveness, Questions 13, p. 45
In the Gospels, Jesus often confronted the self-righteous attitudes of the religious leaders of His time. Key passages that illustrate His perspective on those who justified themselves can be found in Matthew 9:10-13 and Matthew 23:27-28.
Firstly, in Matthew 9:10-13, it is written: "And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' But when he heard it, he said, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.'"
Here, Jesus underscores the importance of mercy over ritual sacrifice and highlights His mission to call sinners to repentance, not those who consider themselves righteous and above reproach. The Pharisees' self-righteousness blinded them to their own need for grace and forgiveness.
Secondly, in Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus addresses the Pharisees directly:
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
Jesus' rebuke is strong and vivid, comparing the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs—externally clean and impressive, but internally corrupt and decayed. This metaphor condemns their pretense of piety and reveals their true state of moral decay and hypocrisy.
In both instances, Jesus condemns self-righteousness and emphasizes the need for genuine repentance and humility. His teachings remind us that outward appearances and ritual observance are meaningless without a true, contrite heart seeking God's mercy.
As proclaimed in 1 John 1:8-9: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Let us, therefore, approach God with humility, acknowledging our sins, and seeking His boundless mercy and forgiveness.
This blog series is adapted from Conflict Resolution vs Reconciliation. You can experience this teaching in several ways:
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