When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?” – Luke 11:37-40
That day when the Pharisee was taken aback that Jesus had reclined at his dinner table without washing first, I’m reminded of a memory from my childhood.
My friends and I had been playing in a nearby creek when I heard my mom calling me for dinner. Not having eaten since lunch, I was starving and quickly made my way home. As soon as I took my shoes off on the front porch, I immediately found my usual place at the dinner table and was ready to dig in. “Have you lost your mind?” my mom asked. “You get yourself into that bathroom, mister, and you wash your face and your hands before you sit down at my dinner table!”
Of course, my mother was just as concerned about my health as she was my appearance. But the Pharisee that day wasn’t a germaphobe like my mother. He didn’t care about Jesus’ health. His concern was that Jesus was in violation of the Law, which Jewish tradition refers to as “netilat yadayim” (or the ceremonial washing of hands before eating). This was a major affront to their overbearing system of religious rules. But what was even more overbearing is that this particular rule originally pertained only to the chief priests during the time of Moses who were entering into the temple.
The first thing we glean from the text is that even though Jesus experienced hatred and opposition from the Pharisees, that was not his attitude toward them. Jesus hated no one. That he would accept an invitation to go into a Pharisee’s home and have dinner with him reveals his loving nature. “But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.” – Matt. 5: 43-44
But Jesus never withheld the truth, not even from the owner of the home in which he found himself the guest of honor. And this man, who was a card-carrying member of the religious elite, would prove to be no exception.
What is it with you Pharisees! Get over yourselves!
The analogy of the dirty insides of the cup and dish that Jesus related to the religious man left nothing to be explained. The Pharisees loved to think of themselves as “clean,” but their stinginess toward God and their attitudes toward the poor and needy revealed otherwise.
They were all about making good appearances, presenting themselves as ceremonially clean and righteous. But their insides were dirty. They exploited the poor and the weak, and they enforced their rules to maintain control and influence. They loved praise and attention, but they cared nothing about the people they were called to lead.
Unfortunately that same attitude exists today in the world we live. The service that some do for others comes from a desire to be seen rather than from a pure heart that is full of Christlike love for others.
People may sometimes be fooled, but God isn’t.
Sometimes it’s good to ask ourselves this question: am I helping this person or organization out of love, or am I simply doing this to be noticed?
Our cups may be clean on the outside. But are they clean on the inside?
Former Blackout Artist 