But the Lord said to him: “Now you
Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of
greed and evil. Luke 11:49
I’m lazy when it comes to
washing dishes. No, I’m not the guy who
lets the dishes pile up until the flies take over the kitchen, but I do take
short cuts. When I’m done with a dish I usually just throw it in the dishwasher
without first rinsing off the food residue. If a plate or bowl doesn’t look
completely clean I immediately notice it and take steps to clean it. But it’s
not that easy when it comes to my coffee mugs. I often see that the outside is
clean and put it up without even thinking of looking on the inside. But when
I’m ready to use it again, I often realize that there are still coffee stains
on the bottom of my cup.
In the Gospels we see that
the Pharisees were the same way. They worked tirelessly cleaning the outside of
the cup, but didn’t pay attention to what was on the inside. While this may
have worked temporarily, it eventually came to light. The outside was flawless,
the inside was dirty.
Interestingly enough, the
perfect Christ was dirty to them because of what they saw on the outside.
According the Pharisees, Christ was defiled because He didn’t obey their
man-made rules. He hung out with sinners, He healed on the Sabbath, and He
didn’t wash His hands before eating with them!
Jesus quickly pointed out
that it was the Pharisees that were truly defiled. They ignored the needy, the
hungry, and the sick. Their rules were far more important to them than God’s
call for justice and mercy. On the inside they were full of greed and evil.
The attitude of the
Pharisees is still seen in the church today. We make up extra-biblical rules
and expect people to follow them. We are often more bothered by the way people
dress than their relationship with Christ.
We are quick to condemn someone who smokes cigarettes or has tattoos,
but often overlook the real problems of gossip and pride.
Yes, we all have issues;
we all have things we need to work on. But I ask that we be careful not to
place expectations on others that are not found in scripture. We must be loving
and forgiving to one another. Together,
we must seek justice and mercy. And together, we become more like Christ and
become everything He has called us to be.
Scripture to Claim:
“Judge not, and you will not be judged;
condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; Luke 6:37 ESV
Submitted By Caleb Lain
