Monday, March 9, 2026

Opening Scripture

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” Matthew 23:23-26

Opening Prayer

Gracious Father, I praise you for your goodness and grace. By the power of your Spirit at work within me, help me to be fruitful and serve you well this day. Help me to embrace your will, obey your Word, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

John 7:1-24

After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.” After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?”

Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders. 

Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

“You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

Reflection  

In terms of Jesus’ earthly ministry, the season of obscurity and the season of popularity had now given way to the season of opposition. The Jewish leaders in Judea had begun conspiring to kill Jesus. There would be several failed attempts on His life before He ultimately offered Himself up at the appropriate time.

Jesus’ rejection as a prophet without honor in His hometown included His own siblings. The sons of Mary and Joseph did not yet recognize His divinity or believe in His claims of Messiahship. However, either in mockery or misguided encouragement, they told Him to “go public” at the upcoming gathering in Jerusalem.

The Feast of Tabernacles – also known as the Festival of Booths – is a week-long celebration of the harvest, commemorating the forty years of wandering in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt. The people would construct temporary shelters from tree branches (called sukkot) to dwell in during the festival.

Jesus explained to His brothers that He was on a different timetable than they were. His timing was set by the Father, and Jesus’ priority was to follow God’s will, rather than His own. When the brothers left for Jerusalem, Jesus initially stayed behind.

The claims, teaching, and miracles of Jesus had spread far and wide. Even if His popularity was waning, His notoriety was surging. He was the talk of the town at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. The people were divided as to Jesus’ identity and purpose. They whispered privately among themselves rather than catch the attention of the religious leaders who controlled access to the Temple.

Due to death threats and divine timing, Jesus made His way covertly to Jerusalem. After three days, He stood up in the Temple when the crowd was at its peak. Everyone was amazed at His teaching, since He had never attended rabbinical school. Jesus explained that His instruction came straight from God.

Once again, Jesus exposed the religious leaders’ hypocritical legalism, confusion about the Sabbath, and superficial understanding of Scripture. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others” (Matthew 23:5-7).

Flourishing Habit

Character and Virtue

Jesus’ final statement in today’s passage – “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” – ties to Jesus’ accusation of the religious leaders in our Opening Scripture – “You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”

Too often, we concern ourselves with the outward appearance of things, while neglecting what’s on the inside. Like the Jewish religious leaders, we are sometimes guilty of judging by mere appearances without consideration for the contents.

Indeed, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

As we’ve mentioned before in this Flourishing Together journey, our reputation and “outward appearance” – our image – is essentially who people think we are. Our character and substance – our integrity – is who we really are.

Godly character manifests itself in virtuous action. It looks like humility, integrity, justice, fortitude, courage, patience, and self-control. When godly character is present, the evidence is honest, ethical, and merciful. When it is absent, the evidence is dishonest, unethical, and unmerciful.

Are you guilty of focusing on the “package” without considering what’s “inside”?

Ask God to help you embrace His true and eternal perspective on life.

“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:16-17

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!