37 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
Commentary
Vs. 37-4137 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.
Now a Pharisee was there who heard what Jesus had been saying, (and likely being impressed by Him) invited Him to come to his house and dine with him. Jesus then went with him and sat down to eat (vs. 37). Now when the Pharisee saw that Jesus had not first washed before he ate, he marvelled; for the Pharisees were an extremely ritualized group of religious men who thought that righteous with God was found by observing their and their fathers’ traditions (see Matt. 15:1-9), an error which is not unique to them. Therefore, Jesus’ knowing what the Pharisee was thinking about Him for not washing before eating, now begins to upbraid the blind hypocrisy of the Pharisees, saying: “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.” vs. 41-42 Jesus then has little patience for those who think that by observing their “religious” rituals, or self-imposed ideals, that by doing so they are being righteous or pleasing God. Because observing the externals like hand washing before eating, or counting beads on a string while praying does nothing to change or cleanse one’s heart. For all such things are only works born out of the doctrines and commandments of men who in every generation only seek to establish their own righteousness, and thus have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God (consider Rom. 10:3-4). Therefore, Jesus calls them foolish ones, for their obsession with and observance of the meaningless and ritualistic externals. For God who made both the inside and outside is first and foremost concerned with our hearts, and not how we appear to men and woman by doing and observing such useless things! Therefore, Jesus upbraids the Pharisee, for he marveled that Jesus had not washed before eating, (which is such a minor and insignificant thing), and yet as Jesus readily observes about the Pharisees, they were only blind to their own inner greed and wickedness (vs. 39)! Which they could do and justify amongst themselves because they held to and so strictly observed their meaningless ritualistic practices, that they thought made them right with God (vs. 39). Which again is not something unique to them. But is the folly found in every religion that seeks righteousness with God by their own meaningless works, and not by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ which both cleanses and transforms the inside and outside of us. Therefore, having rebuked them for their blindness to their own defilement; that is their own folly, greed, and wickedness Jesus now tells them: “But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.” vs. 41 For by honoring God with the first fruits of their increases, and giving gifts to those in need; with no expectation of receiving anything for having done so; they would be purging their own hearts and minds of their own greed. Which would then be taking a right step into having their eyes opened to what truly makes for righteousness with God. Then they would no longer be judging Godliness and holiness by totally insignificant things like observing their useless handwashing rituals, or any other man-made ideals or ordinances that they (and those like them) so vehemently observe and follow.
Vs. 42-44 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.”
Jesus then having rebuked them for the greed and wickedness, now pronounces woes on them: “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” vs. 42
In this first woe Jesus is condemning the Pharisees for their emphasis and zeal in keeping such insignificant things like tithing all manner of mint, rue and herbs, while passing by the love and the justice of God! Because as religious men and leaders the lessor should never be placed before (or worse as they were doing replace) the greater (consider Micah 6:8). Therefore, Jesus tells them that they should’ve first and foremost been doing the love and justice of God without having to leave the tithing of insignificant herbs. Jesus then in His second woe now upbraids the Pharisees for their extreme vanity, saying to them: “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.” vs. 43
For a truly Godly person is not concerned about being publicly honored and adored or acknowledged as such before men. However, for them they were all about the honor and privileges that their positions gave them. And thus, they loved having the best seats of honor and privilege in the synagogues, and they loved being publicly greeted, and thus being publicly honored before men as religious men when they were greeted in the marketplaces. They and their egos then knew nothing of humility or contriteness before either God or man. Thus, Jesus had nothing but contempt for their doing so. For they as religious men and leaders are supposed to set the example of humility and service towards God and man (Mark 10:42-45), something which they willingly shunned in their pursuits of their own honor and glory.
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
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