In the same way, you also appear righteous to people outwardly, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Jesus concludes the thought of the previous verse by revealing the nature of the Pharisees’ false righteousness. Their outward piety created the impression that they were righteous people, but in reality their hearts were full of lawlessness and hypocrisy. Outwardly they pretended to be holy, but inwardly they lived in sin and in their own self-interest. Jesus reminds them that before God, righteousness is measured not by the impression made on people, but by inner truth. This word again emphasizes the essential principle of faith: before God one cannot be partly pure; if the heart is defiled, outward piety has no value.