25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
23:25
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
The sixth “woe” shows how religion places emphasis on externals and misses internals.
For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
Jesus used the illustration of cleaning the outside of a cup but leaving the inside dirty. Religion always emphasizes form over function, ritual over reality. It is always “full of extortion and self-indulgence” in function. “Self-indulgence” is unrestrained gratification.
23:26
Blind Pharisee [singular], first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Religion should deal with the inside (attitudes and heart) before the outside (actions). Ceremonial purity is not nearly as important as internal purity.
PRINCIPLE:
There is a big difference between what we are inwardly and what we appear outwardly.
APPLICATION:
It is easy to give the appearance of pious spirituality but operate on attitude sins such as lust, anger, bitterness, and envy. Attitude sins can run with unrestrained gratification. It is very easy to become superficial in what we believe.
Pr 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
