37When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. 38But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised.
39Then 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. 40You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
Jesus is asking those who invited him over for a meal to take a look inside of themselves. They were spending a great deal of time, energy, and worry over being clean outside. While there is nothing wrong with that, the bigger issue was on the inside, Were their hearts were clean? Knowing them and their values, he challenges them to do something that would reveal just who they were, inside and out. He spoke to their greed. While they may look religious and righteous on the outside, he knew that greed was consuming them on the inside. In our age, Jesus' challenge still stands. We must take a look on the inside of ourselves. The monster on the inside for a lot of us today is still the same: greed. It is funny how some things never change.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
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