Tuesday. [II Cor. 2:14-3:3; Matt. 23:23-28]

   Cleanse the inner so the outer will be clean. Our outer behaviour in society is almost always proper—we fear the judgment of people and restrain ourselves. If outwardly we give ourselves over to vices, it is already a most serious affair; it means that all shame is lost. But when one’s visible behaviour is proper, the inner tenor of thoughts and feelings is not always proper. Here self-pleasure is given complete freedom which is outwardly complied with as far as human eye can bear it and as far as it can hide its deeds from human sight. This is precisely a whited sepulchre. Furthermore, inner uncleanness makes what is on the outside unclean. Cleanse yourself inwardly, and then the exterior will become clean, and you will be all clean, you will be made a vessel which is fit for all good uses of a householder. One must marvel at how the inside remains neglected; for indeed, nobody wants perdition. Truly the enemy keeps such a soul in a blindness—[he says] that there is no problem as long as there are no obvious sins, or he teaches the soul to put off this important thing until tomorrow. “Tomorrow we will work seriously on ourselves, as one ought; but now let my soul take some pleasure in passionate thoughts and dreams, if not deeds.” Let us be on our guard that we might not grow old in such a frame of mind, so that correction for us will not become impossible, like teaching an old man new things.

Wednesday. [II Cor. 3:4-11; Matt. 23:29-39]

   How many mercies the Lord revealed to Jerusalem, (that is to the Jews). And, in the end, he was still forced to say, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. It is well-known to all what the consequences of this were: the Jews to this day are homeless. Does not a similar thing occur with the soul? The Lord cares for it and gives it understanding in every way; an obedient soul walks the path indicated, but a disobedient soul remains in opposition to God’s calling. But the Lord does not abandon even this soul, and uses every means to bring it to reason. If stubbornness increases, God’s influence increases. But there is measure to everything. A soul becomes hardened, and the Lord, seeing that already there is nothing more that can be done with this soul, leaves it in the hands of its own fall, and it perishes, like pharaoh. Let anyone who is beset by passions learn the lesson from this that is he cannot continue indulging himself indefinitely without punishment. Is it not time to abandon those passions—not just to deny oneself occasionally, but to decisively turn away? Indeed, nobody can say when he will overstep the limit. Perhaps the end to God’s longsuffering is just around the corner.