One Sunday morning, an old cowboy entered a church just before services began. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt, and very worn and ragged boots. He carried a worn-out old hat and an equally worn-out Bible in his hand. The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed in expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it. As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. “Before you return here again, talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship.” The old cowboy assured the preacher he would. The following Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again, he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the man and said, “I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church.” “I did,” replied the old cowboy.” “If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?” asked the preacher. “Well, sir, God told me that He didn’t have a clue what I should wear. He said He’d never been in this church before.”
This story paints a striking image of outward religious appearances masking inward emptiness, like in Ezekiel’s time. In Ezekiel 10:18-19, we see a devastating moment when God’s glory departs from the temple in Jerusalem:
“Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim. While I watched, the cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground… and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.” (Ezekiel 10:18-19)
God left, not because He didn’t care, but because the hearts of the people were distant. They had fallen into idolatry, injustice, and rebellion. Though the temple stood tall, full of ritual and sacrifice, God’s presence was absent because the people were no longer seeking Him. As Ezekiel 8:6 explains:
“Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary?” (Ezekiel 8:6)
God is not impressed with polished rituals or fancy clothes. His interests reside within those who genuinely seek Him. When the prophet Samuel was searching for Israel’s next king, God instructed him, saying:
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
Similarly, Proverbs 21:2 states:
“A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.” (Proverbs 21:2)
But that wasn’t the end of the story in Ezekiel. Centuries later, Jesus came into the world, not to be confined to temples made by human hands, but to rewire our hearts and redirect them back to God by tearing down the barriers of sin and religious performance. Just like the preacher in the story, Jesus challenged those who thought they had it all figured out but, in reality, totally missed the mark.
So the next time you walk into a church and catch yourself judging others, remember that God’s concern is for the heart, especially your own because it’s the only one you have control over. As it says in Jeremiah 17:10:
“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:10)
Just like the cowboy, you can know that God isn’t impressed by the external—but by the state of your soul. |
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Jesus said, for those who have ears to hear, let them hear.
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