Thursday, January 23rd | Matthew 23

Passage:
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 “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. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
(Matthew 23:23-28 ESV)

Song:
Clean Heart by Austin Johnson, Bryan Torwalt, Hank Bentley, Katie Torwalt

Lyrics:
For the times that I’ve misused Your name
And leveraged it for my own fame
For the kingdoms I’ve been building on my own
For the times I chose to play it safe
When You said give it all away
For the idols that I’ve let into my home

Create in me a clean heart God
And renew a right spirit
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart God
And renew a right spirit
And renew a right spirit within me

For the times I chose the counterfeit
Dismissed Your voice like Jonah did
When I leaned into fear instead of faith
For the narrow path I didn’t take
When I fell short in my own strength
You said look and I just looked away
Well I’m looking now

Renew a right spirit
A right spirit within me

The kindness of God
It leads to repentance
The arms of the Father
Are full of forgiveness
You gave me a clean heart
A place where Your glory can rest
You made me a temple
A place where Your presence can live

You gave me a clean heart
A place where Your glory can rest
You made me a temple
A place where Your presence can live

Create in me a clean heart God
And renew a right spirit
And renew a right spirit within me
Create in me a clean heart God
And renew a right spirit
A right spirit
A right spirit

Prayer:
O Lord my God, light of the blind, and strength of the weak;
yes, also light of those that see, and strength of the strong—
hearken unto my soul, and hear it crying out of the depths.
Woe is me! . . . Lord, help us to turn and seek you; for not as
we have forsaken our Creator have you forsaken your cre-
ation. Let us turn and seek you, for we know you are here in
our heart, when we confess to you, when we cast ourselves
upon you, and weep in your bosom, after all our rugged
ways; and you gently wipe away our tears, and we weep
the more for joy; because you, Lord—not man of flesh and
blood—but you, Lord, who made us, remake and comfort
us. Amen.
-Augustine