Cleaning the Dishes

¨Blind Pharisee, Cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside of it also may become clean.¨ Matthew 23:26 (Reference Bible)

In Matthew 23 Jesus goes off on the people who would go to lengths to look godly and good but not filled with the Lord on the inside.  This is actually a trap each one of us could very easily fall into.  Perhaps the thief or murderer could escape this danger because it means nothing to him, but for the Christian peril could be all too close.

The very fact that the Christian has learned right from wrong and that God has asked us to be clothed with righteousness brings us to this desiring to be cleansed.  From a very young age we learn to wash our hands, wash the dishes and many other things.  Jesus uses the comparison of a cup or even a grave to show us that it is important just what we would try to clean.

There are so many things we learn to do as Christians. Sometimes we take that to mean that we are becoming children of the Lord.  We know we started as sinners sold into slavery since the beginning of our race.  We have learned that in Jesus we are renewed and washed cleaned.  This should take care of everything since our lives are now set on a course towards an eternity that is sure.

However, Jesus´ words come across to us to make us stop a moment and consider.  His encouraging is to check the genuine quality and direction of our hearts.  It is possible to substitute the actions and theories instead of personal contact with our Savior.

There is only One who is good.  There is only One who is worthy.  He can live within us and it is what He desires.  But this is not possible, this bonding or replacing of natures, if we are far from Him in distance and experience.  Jesus is alive and active.  He is moving, healing and loving.  We can know Him and commune with Him in each and any given moment.  But do we?

Many times we carry out what we know to be right or pleasing to Him, but all the while we are doing it, we are not in communion with Him.  We are acting on our own power, might, and will.  The action may be pure, but it is not Him moving us to do it or giving us the strength or insight.  We can only receive these things if we are so fully connected and responsive to His Spirit when we feel it and know it is moving inside of us.

To wash a dish we may take soap and water and scrub them together then rinse off.  With the things of the heart, there must be His Spirit inside and all around.  It is not a mechanical process to be followed but a loving relationship.  Creator, redeemer and willing soul blend together in harmony and love, to bond, fill and replace the filthy nature with a new and clean one that is reserved for the Lord alone.

If there is not this connection, if there is not this communion, the fancied cleaning is not what we have achieved.  We may be clean cups on the outside.  We may be white-washed graves beautiful for the world to admire and appreciate.  But without the Lord, living inside filling and cleansing, our refinement is hypocrisy and a sham.

Dear Jesus, thank you for warning us of our duplicity.  We would love to please You, but so many times perhaps we get carried away with cleaning the outside of the bowl.  Please come to live within us today.  Carry out whatever cleaning is in order so that all the filth is removed by Your presence.  You are good and worthy and with You living within our hearts, You will be able to purify all our intentions from the inside out.

Do this we pray in Your name and for Your glory,

Amen