Thursday, March 23, 2023
Our dishwasher is having problems. When we pull a cup out of the top rack, the outside looks pristine, but there’s a 50/50 chance that the inside didn’t get thoroughly washed. While it can result in a gross surprise when I take a sip of water, it gives me a deeper appreciation for this illustration Jesus gives to the religious leaders.
Luke 11:39-41
39 Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! 40 Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside? 41 So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.
Jesus rather vehemently confronts the Pharisees about their hypocrisy. They follow the intricate rules of Jewish law, and externally, they seem to be a paragon of righteousness. But God desires more than legalistic rule-following—he cares about the state of our hearts.
We can fall into this, too, and it’s especially easy for those who have been following Jesus for a while. We’re content to go to church every week, tithe, and read our Bible, all while losing sight of God’s heart. We do all the right things without making sure we’re doing them for the right reasons.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (emphasis added).
God wants us to love him and care about the same things he does, not just rotely obey a list of rules. Our heart posture matters to him. That’s why Jesus’ rebuke to the religious leaders in this chapter includes a call to give to the poor, concern ourselves with justice, and love God first—it’s a way of making sure our hearts and desires stay properly aligned.
Following God’s commands and creating spiritual habits is good, and we should strive to obey God. But we shouldn’t be so focused on doing the right actions that we neglect our internal state.
What’s incredible is that when the inside of the cup is clean, the water that flows out from it is purer, sweeter, and more appealing. It’s not contaminated by the dirty interior. When we ensure our heart is in order, our external efforts are purified as well.
Questions:
Do you usually pay more attention to your heart posture or following the rules? Why?
Do you more often focus on what you care about or what God cares about?
Next Steps:
Journal about your spiritual journey to help you clearly examine your recent heart posture toward God.
Join a Group to find other Christ-followers who will help keep you focused on God and the life-changing adventure he has you on.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for caring about what’s going on inside my heart—my desires, fears, and motivations. I surrender them all to you. Please cleanse my heart and focus it on what you care about. Keep me from getting so wrapped up in religious activities that I forget to keep my eyes on you. In Jesus’ name, amen.