"Looking Good Is Not Enough”

In Jesus Holy Name Pentecost XIV August 29, 2021

Text: Mark 7:1-14

“Looking Good Is Not Enough”

Recently “People” magazine selected the 50 most beautiful people in the world, I wasn't on the list. It was quite a blow. Years ago Cindy Crawford was a heartthrob for many men and women during the 90s and 80s. She was featured in magazines like Vogue, Cosmopolitan. Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. But she is like famous Madonna, both in their 60’s, So, of course now they have beauty flaws, which can be and are hidden quite cleverly by the image editor who can airbrush wrinkles away. Their recent photos show skin that is made taut and darker and brighter and cellulite is removed. If only real life were that easy.

Justin Bieber is one of the most well recognized stars around the globe. A recent image on a magazine cover had been “retouched”. His arms clearly are made to look bigger and his chest better defined.

It is said that 99 percent of American woman and 94 percent of American men would change something about their looks, if they could. Look, I’d like to have my full head of hair back when I first came to Fresno. But it is not to be!

I did find a great article on “How to Get rid of Wrinkles”… seven ways.

• QUIT SMOKING. It's never easy, but nicotine patches and inhalers are a great place to start if you're having trouble.

• ADD MORE ANTIOXIDANTS TO YOUR DIET. ...

• STAY HYDRATED. ...

• USE HIGH QUALITY ANTI-WRINKLE CREAMS. ...

• AVOID EXCESSIVE SUN EXPOSURE. ...

• GET ENOUGH BEAUTY SLEEP. ...

• REDUCE STRESS.

• If these fail try Botox.

Why is there preoccupation with perfection; this desire to change our outsides to emulate some idealistic, unrealistic standard which seems to be attainable only through computer-enhancement and artistic air-brushing? Well, there are, believe it or not, reasons. Some studies say that the pursuit of outside perfection can be important. Already in grade school, attractive children find themselves more popular with their classmates. Some of their teachers, quite unintentionally, have higher expectations and give higher evaluations to their more handsome students.

When an attractive person enters the work force, being pleasing to the eye helps him, or her, get a better job, a higher paying job. This is why people are taught how to dress for interview when seeking a new job.

The long and short of what I'm saying is this: society as a whole, and many of us as individuals, are obsessed with making our outsides as flawless and faultless, as perfect and pretty, as is humanly, hopefully, medically, and surgically possible. We know the clock will tick, gravity will win, but we also know we've got to keep trying to look good.

Would it comfort you to know that in history there have been other people who were obsessed with looking good? Who? you ask. Well, the Pharisees of the Bible, for one. "

The truth is, 2,000 years ago, these fellows were some of the most respected businessmen around. Let me tell you a little, just a little bit, about them. First, Pharisees never called themselves Pharisees; that was the name others gave them. Pharisee means to be separate, and that's what these fellows were: separate. In a time when people's morality was immoral and ethics were unethical, these fellows tried to separate themselves from everything and everybody which might mess them up.

That's why, when the average Joseph saw a Pharisee walking down the street he would have been impressed. Pharisees understood the importance of looking good. For example, they often wore a blue robe. Why blue? Blue was the color of the sky and a blue robe showed they were close to God. (from sermon by Rev. K Klaas 2006)

A Pharisee tied a little box on his forehead and another on his arm. Those boxes contained passages from the Bible, and showed to anyone who looked at them that God's Word was always on their minds and in their hearts. Then there were the tassels. God had said, "When you see a tassel move, remember Me."

Well the Pharisees took God seriously and they wore tassels on their prayer shawls that were so big nobody could forget God. Some might call it bling-bling. Pharisees called it looking good and they weren't ashamed.

Now don't get me wrong. These fellows knew their Bible. They prayed faithfully. They fasted. They gave more than a tenth of all they had to the Lord's work; they were mission-minded; they knew more about God's laws than anybody else... including God. Now that last part is an exaggeration, but not much. Let me tell you what I mean.

You know, in the Bible, God gave some laws to His people. He didn't give many of them, but the ones He gave, He expected to be obeyed, perfectly. Sadly, sinners like us are unable to obey God perfectly. But nobody told that to the Pharisees. They wanted to look good on the outside, thinking that made them acceptable to a righteous God.