Read: Matthew 23:25-26

I’ve always been pretty good at managing how things look on the outside. I could keep things together enough that people would overlook the deeper struggles I was facing. But there came a point when I realized that no matter how much I cleaned up my act, it wasn’t solving the real issue. I was focusing on the surface, but beneath it, there were more profound things—pride, insecurity, anger—that I hadn’t dealt with. It was like trying to trim the branches of a tree, hoping it would stop growing without ever getting to the root.

It’s easy to focus on external behaviors—what people see on the outside. But Jesus calls us to something deeper. He warns us that cleaning the outside isn’t enough if the inside is still full of sin. True transformation happens from the inside out. We can stop certain behaviors for a time, but if the heart isn’t changed, those habits will eventually return.

Jesus calls out the Pharisees for their focus on appearance while ignoring the condition of their hearts. This applies to us, too. When we try to break sinful habits without addressing the deeper issues—like pride, anger, or insecurity—we’re simply trimming the branches instead of uprooting the tree. We need to let Jesus transform our hearts so that real, lasting change can take place.

Questions to Reflect On:

  1. Are there areas of your life where you’ve focused more on appearance than heart change?
  2. How can you invite Jesus to transform you from the inside out?
  3. What internal attitudes need to change for your external actions to follow?