On the Road to Jerusalem: Clean on the Inside

“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.’"—Luke 11:39

During Lent as we fast, we begin to notice some of the sins that we thought we conquered, rearing their ugly heads. We may try and hide our struggles and sins, but fasting brings everything to light. It becomes even more apparent that our sins are not simply character flaws or imperfections, but sins of the soul that need to be confessed, repented of, and forsaken. God is not concerned about our external behavior, as much as He is our heart.

While on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was asked to dine with a Pharisee—a religious Jewish scholar and leader of the day. He went into the Pharisee’s house and sat down to eat dinner, but He failed to ceremonially wash first (not ordinary hygiene washing). Jewish tradition taught that cleansing one’s hands were necessary for eating, and the Pharisee quickly noticed Jesus’ glaring omission. But Jesus wouldn’t be brought down by the Pharisee’s incredulity and 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. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you”—Luke 11:39-41.

Jesus wanted to show that keeping the Jewish traditions was like cleaning the outside of the cup, while leaving the inside unclean. When He said, “give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you,” He was showing that if the believer first offers His heart to God, then everything is clean—and that is acceptable to God. In other words, God wants our heart above everything else. He wants inside-out living, not outside-in. It’s not about outward conformity, as much as inner purity.

Think about it this way. Imagine a polluted river. Do you try to clean the river at its mouth? Or at its source? Of course, remove the pollution at its source, then the rest of the river will be clean. When God has our heart, we are changed and cleansed from the inside-out.

Does God have your heart? Have you given everything to Him? Or are you trying to live by externals and traditions? God knows your heart and can’t be fooled. Be honest with Him, confess and repent of your sin, and God will forgive you and give you the grace and power to live for Him. Amen.