“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.’”
Luke 11:39
Our passage today starts with Jesus being invited into a Pharisee’s home and reclining at the table with him. The man was surprised that Jesus did not first wash before the meal (v. 38). This wasn’t because the Pharisee was disgusted by germs. Rather, he was thinking of the ritual that every pious Jew would perform before a meal. Jesus was breaking the norm!
This provides Jesus with an opportunity to rebuke the Pharisees for their care for rituals but not for the state of their own hearts before God. They cleanse the outside of the cup, but not the inside. They are concerned about their performance before others, but not about their inward devotion. Did God not create both outward and inward? Does He not tenderly care for the state of the heart?
In Psalm 51 David tells us that the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart. This is what He wants first and foremost. But we cannot ever adequately clean our own cup. We can make a show before others, but we can’t make ourselves clean before God. Jesus is the One who washes us.
This provides Jesus with an opportunity to rebuke the Pharisees for their care for rituals but not for the state of their own hearts before God. They cleanse the outside of the cup, but not the inside. They are concerned about their performance before others, but not about their inward devotion. Did God not create both outward and inward? Does He not tenderly care for the state of the heart?
In Psalm 51 David tells us that the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart. This is what He wants first and foremost. But we cannot ever adequately clean our own cup. We can make a show before others, but we can’t make ourselves clean before God. Jesus is the One who washes us.
Scripture Focus
Luke 11:37-41
Insight
To be fit for feasting with Jesus, we must first be cleansed by Him. If Jesus is your Savior, you are clean!
Bible In A Year
- Genesis 31-32
- Psalm 16
- Matthew 24