英國發生了自二戰以來最嚴重的住宅火災，倫敦西區24層樓高的格蘭菲塔大樓被大火吞噬，奪走70多條人命。調查顯示，火勢迅速蔓延主要是大樓外牆翻新時所用的裝飾板造成的，這些覆蓋在建築外部的裝飾板外層是鋁制的，但內層卻是極其易燃的塑料芯。

為何如此危險的材料能獲准銷售和安裝呢？那是因為產品銷售方沒有透露，這款材料的防火安全測試不佳，而買家則被低廉的價格所吸引，沒注意到警告標示。從外表來看，這些閃亮的裝飾板好看極了。

耶穌曾對文士和法利賽人發出一些非常嚴厲的評論，祂指責他們用漂亮的外表來掩蓋內心的敗壞。耶穌說，他們好像「粉飾的墳墓，外面好看，裡面卻裝滿了死人的骨頭」（馬太福音23章27節）。他們不追求「公義、憐憫、信實」（23節），只專注於光鮮亮麗的外表，不過是「洗淨杯盤的外面，裡面卻盛滿了勒索和放蕩」（25節）。

向上帝坦承我們的罪和內心的敗壞，並不容易；追求亮麗的外表，顯然簡單多了。但「金玉其外，敗絮其中」只會造成危害。願我們接受上帝的邀請，讓祂使我們所有人從內心得到改變（約翰一書1章9節）。

In the worst UK residential fire since World War II, fire engulfed the twenty-four story Grenfell Tower building in West London, claiming the lives of seventy people. Investigations revealed a primary reason the flames spread so quickly was the cladding used as part of renovation that covered the building’s exterior. The material was aluminum on the outside but had an extremely flammable plastic core.

How was such a dangerous material allowed to be sold and installed? The product’s sellers failed to disclose poor fire safety test results. And buyers, drawn by the material’s cheap price tag, failed to heed warning signs. The shiny cladding looked nice on the outside.

Some of Jesus’ harshest words were directed at religious teachers He accused of covering corruption behind a nice-looking exterior. He said they were like “whitewashed tombs”—“beautiful on the outside” but inside full of dead bones (Matthew 23:27). Instead of pursuing “justice, mercy and faithfulness” (v. 23), they were focused on looking good—cleaning “the outside of the cup” but not the “greed and self-indulgence” inside (v. 25).

It’s easier to focus on looking good than to bring our sin and brokenness honestly before God. But a nice-looking exterior doesn’t make a corrupt heart any less dangerous. God invites us to let Him transform all of us from the inside (1 John 1:9).