What is the meaning of Luke 11:39? Then the Lord said – The moment Jesus speaks, He does so with divine authority (Matthew 7:28-29; Luke 6:46). – His address follows a Pharisee’s surprise that He did not perform the ceremonial hand-washing (Luke 11:38). – By opening with His own words, Jesus reminds us that the coming assessment is God’s verdict, not mere human opinion (John 13:13; Revelation 1:14-16). Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish – The Pharisees’ emphasis lay on outward ritual purity—polished behavior, strict traditions, visible conformity (Mark 7:3-8). – Jesus pictures a cup and dish, utensils meant for fellowship and refreshment, to show how appearances can deceive (1 Samuel 16:7). – Outward religion without inner renewal leaves a façade that “has the appearance of godliness, but denies its power” (2 Timothy 3:5; Revelation 3:1). – Similar warning: “Woe to you… for you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25). but inside you are full of greed and wickedness – Jesus exposes the hidden heart where motives reside (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 17:9). – “Greed” points to self-seeking gain—robbing God and others under a cloak of piety (Ezekiel 33:31; 1 Thessalonians 2:5). – “Wickedness” covers broader moral corruption that spills out in thoughts, words, and actions (Mark 7:21-23; 1 John 2:16). – He urges them, “First clean the inside… so that the outside may become clean as well” (Matthew 23:26). Only inner transformation by faith can produce genuine outward holiness (Titus 1:15-16; Psalm 51:10). summary Luke 11:39 unmasks the danger of surface-level religion. Jesus, speaking with divine authority, confronts the Pharisees’ obsession with external polish while their hearts simmer with self-interest and sin. True cleanliness begins within, as God renews the heart, and only then expresses itself in authentic, observable righteousness. |
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