Thoughts for the Day

While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We have seen the importance of the purity laws before, and the elaborate way for instance, that hands were washed before eating or worshipping. The Pharisees exemplified this tradition as they sought to follow the Law of Moses. While there were undoubtedly many good men among this group, there were too many for whom it was about outward appearances. All four Gospels show Jesus attacking the Pharisees for their hypocrisy.

The hand-washing laws were originally intended for worship in the Temple where priests were required to be 'holy before the Lord' (Exodus 30.17-21) but these were passed on to ordinary people after the exile to Babylon. By the time of Jesus, hand-washing occurred regularly - after sleeping; going to the toilet; leaving a cemetery; before a meal; and after a meal. This was less about cleanliness and more about ritual purity, for the hands had first to be clean before washing! A cup with enough water for both hands, was then poured twice on the dominant hand and then twice on the other hand. The water had to cover the entire hand up to the wrist, with fingers separated so the water touched the whole of the hand. When drying the hands a blessing was to be recited.

While we may think this little episode unimportant, it has great implications for today. Jesus is looking at the importance of internal virtues rather than outward actions or appearances, and emphasising that true goodness comes from having a pure heart. Luke has one little phrase that is different from the other gospels. Jesus says "So give for alms those things that are within". 'Alms' is the giving of food or money to those in need. True inner purity though will also mean a Christian will give what they can, and in addition, make time to listen and pray for those in need, as well as to 'walk alongside them' on their journey.

Lord Jesus Christ,
give us clean hearts to worship You,
unsullied by all that is unworthy.
May we be free from the wickedness
that all too often infects our thoughts,
our intentions and our deeds,
so that we may give generously
to those who need our help,
in any way that we can.
Amen.