‘’…and rend your hearts and not your garments.’ Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.’ Joel 2:13

Ours is a culture valuing appearance over substance. Virtue signaling and moral outrage overflow our social media feed with revelations of each new crisis. We are well-versed in garment-rending.

And yet, it is not right external behavior that God desires, but hearts that are His (Matt 9:13, Hos 6:6). Throughout the Gospels we see Jesus rail against the Scribes and Pharisees. Their attention to the smallest detail - tithing spices - highlighted not their holiness, but how they had neglected what truly mattered: justice, mercy, faithfulness, and the love of God (Lk 11:42, Matt 23:23). They were whitewashed tombs, beautiful to look at, full of death on the inside (Matt 23:27). Can you blame them? It will always be easier to craft the appearance of a heart belonging to God rather than to dying to self and living to Christ (Rom 6). And yet, only hearts - not garments - that have been rent can be made whole.

It will always be easier to be whitewashed.

It will always be easier to praise God with our mouths while our hearts are far from Him (Is 29:13, Matt 15:8).

But He invites us to return.

Our divided, stone hearts can be made whole and alive by the One who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Eze 36:26, Ps 86:11). Rending our hearts is the only right response to the One who did not rend His garments, but His body on our behalf (1 Cor 11:24).

Thank You, Lord, that you are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. May our hearts be holy, and wholly yours. In Christ’s name, amen.