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Our text clearly defines for us the make up of each and every one of us. We have as it were, an inward appearance that can not immediately be seen, as it is wrapped up with an outward wrapping, our body. Down through the ages, many have pondered on this and we have had many words of wisdom enumerate from this, including the words of our Lord, some of which are: Matthew 6:16, “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast”. Matthew 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves”. Matthew 15:18-20 “But those things which proceed out of the mouth came forth from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man”.

These teachings have prompted some very good everyday morals that we learn and take with us in life. “You should never judge a book by its cover”. “There is always two sides to a coin”. These sayings teach us clearly, that there is always a hidden side that cannot be seen but must be unwrapped before we can get the full picture. If we look at the current difficulty to open packaging some manufacturers are putting on their goods, we hear many people expressing the opinion that ‘they really are trying to stop you getting at what is inside’. This is a fair statement, but we can’t just blame the manufacturers, after all, most of us do the same thing in our own lives. We tend to wrap ourselves in layers of packaging, often making it difficult for others to discover the real person underneath.

We often meet people who outwardly display a happy-go-lucky attitude, but when we get to know them better, we often find some tragedy, worry, or sincerity from within, than what the outward wrapping suggested. Some use this outward appearance as a means of preventing getting too close until they are ready to open up. Unfortunately, some never open up. On the other side we have to be careful of the other group the Lord spoke of.

How often have we seen the flashy expensive wrapping on a parcel designed to impress. It promises untold delights, but when we open it, the contents don’t live up to the wrapping. In people we have to be careful to make this assessment.

We often read of people in show business who become idols because of the glitz and glamour on the surface, but take away the glossy wrapping and often there is little substance underneath.

We must be careful in not placing too much importance on our outward wrapping to just create an image. We all try to present ourselves in the best light, but at all times remember what is important in God’s sight and that is what lies inside the wrapping. The Psalmist tells us that wisdom is given to what is in the hidden part and this is so. We remember the words written in the scripture in so many different places and summed up so clearly in John 2:24-25. “But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man”. This is the wisdom we must learn.