Truly Clean
Luke 11:37-54 (ESV)
While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you. 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.” 45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” 53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.
Here Jesus is addressing perceived external righteousness and calls it hypocrisy when our motives and attitudes are not to love God and love our neighbor.
These Jewish leaders had methodically cleaned the outside of their lives but had not taken a look at the uncleanliness of their hearts.
Do you love the Lord by listening to and obeying Him?
Do you love your neighbor by showing compassion to those in need?
Luke 11:37-38 (ESV)
While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.
Again Jesus is invited to dine by a Pharisee and Jesus knows his heart and intentions yet accepts.
Jesus intentionally does not ceremonially wash his hand and the Pharisee is visibly astonished.
Maybe it is not about following man made rules but what is necessary to approach a Holy God. If that is the case why would Jesus need to follow priestly protocols?
Spoiler Alert! If we are in Christ, washed clean by His sacrificial blood, do we have to clean ourselves up before we can come into His presence? And if we have yet to repent and receive the grace that is offered through faith in Him can we do anything to clean ourselves up?
1 John 1:7-10 (ESV)
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
So do we clean or fix ourselves when we fail or fall? Can we take an extensive bath or shower or jump in the ocean to wash off our sin (missed the mark)? No, we walk in the light, confess and repent. That is the only way to clean the inside of our cup!
Luke 11:39-40 (ESV)
And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?
The Lord knows that righteousness is an inside out work. We can try and clean up our external lives and behaviors, but unless we have a soul washing experience our actions and attitudes remain and worsen.
Illus: Soap in the Mouth
John 15:3 (ESV)
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.
John 13:7-9 (ESV)
Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
Luke 11:41 (ESV)
But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.
Luke 11:42 (ESV)
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Luke 11:43 (ESV)
Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.
Luke 11:44 (ESV)
Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”
Luke 11:45-46 (ESV)
One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
Luke 11:47-48 (ESV)
Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs.
Often this passage is referenced to justify rebuking others for their hypocrisy. That is not the point or the example that Jesus is setting here. God alone is judge and if they recognized who Jesus was and the authority of His Word (like the prophets) they would have ideally humbly repented and received the gift of correction. Unfortunately, they did the opposite and sought to quench the messenger, like their fathers, rather than honor God’s Word.
How do you respond to the gift of correction?
God’s Word is filled with Good News that changes us.
Have you ever been rebuked by His Word or Spirit?
What is our ideal response? Change our behavior?
Or confess our sin and ask for His healing hand?
Why didn’t they respond ideally?
- “Who does he think he is?”
- Pride, jealousy, arrogance, blind to their own sin
- Loved their position and popularity more than God
- Made the same mistakes they saw others make
Luke 11:49-51 (ESV)
Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.
Luke 11:52 (ESV)
Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”
If we live the wrong message we hinder others!
Promote the reading of God’s Word and be sensitive to the Spirit.
Luke 11:53-54 (ESV)
As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.
Invitation – Wash Me clean!