Deep Cleaning

Title: Clean on the outside or inside

Deep Cleaning

Luke 11:37–54 ESV

While Jesus was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 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. 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. “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.” One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.

Introduction

In 2025 there are a lot of dangers to the church in America. If I took a survey some might say, the danger is a liberal or progressive Christian agenda. That for sure is a danger. Some might say, Christian nationalism and overt political partisanism. Some might say the spread of Islam or New Age mysticism. Some might suggest that the danger is easy believism and the prosperity gospel. I say, yes, those are all dangers that we face as a modern day church. However, I have a concern that one of the most deceptive and insidious dangers comes in the form of people who have studied doctrine, know theological answers, are religiously active in church, are morally conservative, maybe even politically conservative as well, who have an appearance of Godliness but whose hearts are truly far from God. What I’m talking about is spiritual hypocrisy.

On November 21, 1995, what some consider the single greatest Christian album ever produced was released. It was dcTalk’s Jesus Freak. On the album, at track number four, was a song called “What if I Stumble?.” The song begins with a quote from an author and speaker, Brennan Manning. Now I would not recommend him to you but I still like this quote.

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."

I don’t know if he’s right about it being the single greatest cause because I would say sin is the cause. But his point has some validity. When the world hears us proclaim Jesus and not look like Jesus, they become very skeptical. This goes both ways, in loving as Jesus loved, and holding to the truth as Jesus holds to the truth.

In order to get us on the same page when talking about hypocrisy we need to understand it at a deeper level. We aren’t just talking about saying one thing and then doing something like a momentary sin that is the opposite.

Hypocrisy is defined as: “The hiding of interior wickedness under the appearance of virtue….According to moral theologians hypocrisy is the fruit of pride. It is a sin against truthfulness, being a lie expressed by external actions with the intent of deceiving.”

It’s hiding who you are inside with an outside action that makes you look good to others.

The conflict between Jesus and the religious establishment continues to amp up, leading eventually to the cross. You can feel the tension between them in these verses. Jesus had been speaking. We covered what He said last week but it was a section of His teaching where He called them an evil generation always looking for a sign and unwilling to see the light of the world right in front of them. We come to verse 37 that says while He was speaking a Pharisee invited Him to a meal.

We read that Jesus didn’t perform traditional hand washing and His dinner host was appalled.

It’s in this that we see our first point this morning:

I. The Pharisees misunderstood what it meant to be clean before God. (v. 37-41)

The Pharisee is astonished that Jesus disregards their tradition. Let’s talk about that for a moment because it’s difficult on the surface for us to understand why he would be so unsettled by this lack of washing in a certain way. This washing ceremony was done by the Pharisees as a sign of ritual cleanness before God. They cherished this as a very important tradition to the point where he’s really scandalized that Jesus doesn’t do it. This ceremony was NOT required by the Old Testament Law but had been performed as a normal part of their Jewish tradition.

Bock writes, “This is no neutral matter for the Pharisee or Jesus, given what it signifies for both. For the Pharisee, the issue is ritual purity before God; for Jesus, it is the additional burdens to God’s revelation.”

Legalism is taking the commands of God and adding to them for yourself and then expecting everyone else to hold to those extrabiblical commands. It’s not legalism to expect Christians to live as Jesus did and commanded. It’s when you hold to laws or extra biblical rules with a lack of grace for those who don’t meet your standard. Note I said, your standard. You’re not measuring by God’s standard.

In the Old Testament, the prophets had indictments against Israel for relying on their “human rules” and religious rituals as a replacement for a heartfelt and genuine love for God and others.

Isaiah 29:13 ESV

And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

Hosea 6:6 ESV

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

This ceremonial washing was a symbol of everything that was wrong with the Pharisees. Jesus tells him that the Pharisees, who should be most understanding of the law, pay close attention to wash the outside of the cup but the inside is still dirty. This is a great picture.

Outside of the Cup vs. Inside of the Cup

They wanted to look good and righteous but it came at the expense of actually being righteous.

- They wanted a clean outside but on the inside they were dirty and sinful.

- They wanted to mask the dirty on the inside with a clean outside. Like painting over black mold. It looks better but you’re still going to get sick.

This was an acknowledgment that God made the whole person not just external but inward also. If light comes in and cleans the inside then all will be clean for you.

Jesus’ concern was for the hearts of the Pharisees and they just simply did not appreciate this.

They were focused exclusively on the outer with no regard for the inner man.

II. Their wrong focus ends in condemnation. (v. 42-45)

The Pharisees were hypocrites. Jesus calls them out as such and they will face condemnation along with all those who act and disbelieve as they did. In verses 42 through 45 we have three woes that Jesus pronounces on them. And if you find yourself being described in any of these it ought to make you say, “WHOA.” You ought to repent.

1. The Pharisees were very precise in their keeping of tithing herbs and spices. But they neglected justice and the love of God.

Tithing was very important to the Pharisees. God had commanded tithing in the Old Testament as a tenth of the people’s income to be given to support the worship and work of God’s house. The Pharisees took this to extremes. They could cut off a tenth of even their smallest herbs. They wouldn’t just do what we might and give an overestimate to make sure it was covered and move on. They loved their specificity. But they lost the joy of giving to God. They boiled it down to a rule instead of the law leading them to enjoy being generous in what they gave to God.

2. They loved the best seats and greetings in the marketplace.

- “The temptation to live for the approval and respect of other people is common to all people, but is perhaps especially potent for those who are positioned as religious leaders. The Pharisees used their teaching ministry to gain for themselves the most important and honored places in society. But true religion is practiced before the eyes of the Lord and for his-approval alone; those who do their deeds of righteousness in order to gain human recognition will receive no further reward from the Lord (see Matthew 6:1).

3. They were like unmarked graves that people would walk over without knowing.

For the Jewish people, coming into contact with a dead body would render them unclean. A grave would need to be marked clearly so people could make a berth around them.

But can you see what Jesus is doing?

He is comparing their brand of spirituality to something that would have repulsed the Jewish people. He’s saying they are corrupt and full of decay and anyone who happened to come in contact witht them would be made unclean.

Matthew 23:15 ESV

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

People might see their religious ways and think they are leading them to God but in reality they are leading them to corruption, death, and decay. Let this never be said of us!

If you’re in a crowd with these folks, you might want to just stay quiet because Jesus is laying it on these Pharisees. Not to be outdone, a lawyer (scribe) speaks up and tells Jesus that He is insulting them as well. He even feins respect for Jesus by calling Him “teacher”. Jesus then turns to woes to their group also.

III. The lawyers were hypocrites who lead people away from the Lord. (v. 46-54)

These scribes were experts in the OT law. They were some of the most respected people in the nation of Israel because of their knowledge of it. And yet, they hadn’t understood anything Jesus had just said. So, Jesus drops some serious indictments on them.

1. Load people with burdens but don’t lift a finger to help them.

The law was to be a blessing to God’s people. They were to delight in it and it would be a way to live out a love for God as His people. But the scribes made it into a list of strict rules that actually kept the people in a sort of legal loop with extra rules that went beyond what God had said. They were not helping people understand the law but were making life more difficult for the people. They were not helping. Jesus continues to lay it on them.

2. Build tombs for the prophets that their fathers killed.

They pay lip service to the prophets but didn’t obey their message of repentance. This lack of obedience put them squarely in line with their ancestors who murdered the prophets.

1. Against this generation

McKinley writes, “ Not all generations have had the opportunity to kill a prophet, but all generations that have rejected God make it clear that they would do so if they had the opportunity.”

Abel

Genesis 4:1-16 - first of this kind of violence

Zechariah

2 Chronicles 24:20-21 - Chron was the final book in the Hebrew Bible

All through history wicked people set out to kill the messengers of God.

2. they were doing the same to Jesus

2. You take the keys to knowledge but don’t enter and keep those who were entering from getting in.

They were the “experts” in the law. They are supposed to be helping the people know how to enjoy and find joy in God and obeying His law. Instead, their teaching made the way inaccessible. They would not get into the kingdom of God and the people they should have shown the way to, they would instead keep from entering. It’s damning.

They did not understand their job. Hopefully we understand that our job as Christians is being, as is said, one beggar telling the other beggars where to find bread. The scribes didn’t realize they were starving and had a bag full of bread. And instead of eating themselves and guiding others to it, they tried to explain to the beggars all the steps in making sourdough.

This machine gun of indictments should have caused these very religious leaders to repent and want to walk in rightness with God. However, when the meal is over Jesus leaves and they plot.

Luke 11:53 ESV

As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things,

V. 53 - Dark, ominous, their plans to catch Him in something

TRUE HOLINESS begins in the heart.

If you would be clean, give your soul to the Lord.

Ask these questions based some of my reading:

Are you more concerned with outward appearances than inward godliness? Repent.

Am I more concerned with my own little rules than about the big things that matter to God?

Am I craving for people to recognize my spiritual accomplishments?

Is it possible that I’m spiritually dead inside and no one knows, maybe not even myself?

In order to avoid becoming like scribes and Pharisees, we need to work at keeping our hearts soft toward God and His Word. How do you do that? Let me give you a few challenges along these lines.

Ask God for a soft heart. If you are walking along through life and notice a hardness in your heart in some way, pray to God and ask Him to soften it.

Spend time reading and dwelling on God’s Word every day. God’s Word is how our hearts are changed.

Come to God’s Word ready to receive it in faith. It’s alive and active. Take it in as the living and active Word of God. Expect to hear God in His Word.

Take God’s Word and apply it to your life. Paint in the can doesn’t do anything to improve a building. It’s when it is applied to the walls that it improves the building. God’s Word should change your life. Obey it. Come to the Bible ready to obey God’s Word. It’s like signing a blank check for your life and telling God to fill in the amount. Whatever you want, I’m going to do it. You’ve already committed to obey and when you see what He says, there’s no question about what you will do.

Come to the Lord expecting that He will grow you.

J.C. Ryle said it this way:

“Let me counsel every true servant of Christ to examine his own heart frequently and carefully before God. This is a practice, which is useful at all times; it is especially desirable at this present day. When the great plague of London was at its height, people took note of the smallest symptoms that appeared on their bodies in a way that they never noticed them before. A spot here, a spot there, which in time of health, men thought nothing of, received close attention when the plague was decimating families and striking down one after another! We ought to watch our hearts with double watchfulness. We ought to give more time to meditation, self-examination and reflection. It is a hurrying, bustling age; if we would keep from falling, we must take time for being frequently alone with God.”