When Good Deeds Are Just an Act or a Cover-Up

A man prepared Jesus' tomb and was accounted for him a name in the Holy book, speaking of Joseph of Arimathea (Mathew 27:57-60)

That's because owning a tomb was a luxury then; remember how Abraham secured one for himself and his wife? Now imagine someone giving it freely... Commendable, right?

Well, to humans, yes, but Jesus can't be fooled.

You see, Luke 11:47-48 shows that beyond the acts, the motives matter.

Jesus let out a secret that must have earned the approval and commendation of ignorant men.

When God's prophets and righteous men were martyred by the Pharisees and other synagogue leaders, a particular sect called the lawyers would distance themselves from the evil acts, building monuments and befitting burial sites for these people.

A noble act, one can say; however, Jesus, knowing all things, said that they were accomplices! That must have caught them by surprise.

What men see and celebrate is their kindness in giving these prophets a befitting burial; little did they know the motive behind what they did.

You see, people can go to great lengths to actually cover up. A parallel can be seen in David, who actually offered Uriah a place on his dining table in the palace. Passersby could've thought he was humble enough to have invited his lowly servant to dine with him; alas, it was a cover-up (2 Samuel 11:6-13). The extent a man can go! A man can disguise wrongdoing with seemingly hospitality, forgetting that beyond the kind acts, God weighs the Spirit (Proverbs 16:2).

Men can be fooled, but God cannot be mocked! Men may praise you for your seemingly good works; that's all because they're ignorant.

But know this: everything is plain before God. Little wonder the Bible says, at the end, some will recount the good things they've done for God and His kingdom, yet they were aliens to Him and His kingdom (Mathew 7:21-23).

Remember this: God rewards service, honour and acts of giving (Hebrews 6:10), but don't forget either; He knows all things (Hebrews 4:13).

"Man may celebrate the action, but God sees the intention."

Shalom!