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 NIV
In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were what we might call a fundamentalist denomination of Judaism. They were strict in their observance of the law and seemed to look down on anyone less devoted to following all the rules and regulations that had accumulated around it. Jesus interacted with them quite a bit during the three years of his ministry. And seldom was it positive.
On this occasion, he had been invited to eat in the home of a Pharisee. And, while he was there, he condemned much of their religious practice. And, I believe, this verse summarizes the negative comments he made about them. On the outside, they looked holy and righteous. They went well above and beyond in their observance of the law. And they had every outward appearance of being people that God would be pleased with. They were good people.
Clean the Inside
But they were something else altogether on the inside. Jesus accused their clean exterior of concealing a heart full of wickedness and greed. Their shiny exterior did not reflect their heart. The Pharisees, as a whole, were more focused on the outward observance of the law than on what was in their hearts.
In Luke 11:42, Jesus commended them for their outward observance of the law, which even went so far as tithing their garden herbs. But he condemned them in that they had neglected the more important things. Things like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The things of the heart.
That is a sad commentary on what appeared to be the most faithful people in Jesus’ time. And, unfortunately, it is true of all too many of us today as well. Outside, we give the appearance of being ‘good Christians’. But how ugly are we on the inside? Do we demonstrate love and mercy to those around us? Not just to those who are a part of our circle. But also to those who are unlike us. Those who look different, the hurting, the foreigner, and so many more. Are we indifferent to their plight? Or even look down on them? What would Jesus have to say about us?
