020. Whited Sepulchres

Whited Sepulchres

(Matthew 23:27) As in ancient times, so today white-washed tombs mark the place of the dead. They all receive a new whitening before days or seasons of feasting and worship. The people believed that to touch or come in contact with a tomb was to defile oneself. Death was the result of sin, and, therefore caused contamination. Therefore supulchres were always whitewashed. That made them to be easily seen and avoided.

Christ made reference to this practice in an address to the scribes and Pharisees. Whitewashing a tombstone did not change the nature of the grave itself, it still contained dead man’s bones. The thing might be made attractive without, but there was no difference within. Christ insisted that religion was not to be an outward decoration merely, just for special occasions; it was to be a life principle, giving reality to all we do.

"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres."