Matthew 23:26 - Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the Inside of the cup and dish, that the Outside of them may be clean also. (NKJV)
Who are these Pharisees? Why did Jesus confront them as blind?
Many foreign cultures, especially of the Greeks, influenced nations, and Israel was no exception. Thus, it also intruded into the Jewish community led by the Law of Moses. And gradually, the people went away from the Law and the traditions of the elders. That's when a band gathered zealously for the Law to please God - the Pharisees. Therefore, the job of a Pharisee was to monitor the people who did things contrary to the Law and punish the rebels.
On the other hand, our Lord condemns the watchful Pharisees as blind! Because they were aware of what people were doing by looking at their outward deeds but were blind to see what was going on inwardly. Since Jesus raised the bar of God's expectation, He wasn't happy with the ministry of the Pharisees, which merely dealt with the deeds of a person. So, Jesus was interested in dealing not with the deed but to deal with the things inside – the Soul (mind, will and emotion).
Jesus said, 'FIRST cleanse the inside' of the cup and dish, which means that if a man's soul (inside) is cleansed, the deeds (outside) would be automatically cleansed. But the human soul has a natural talent for controlling deeds and avoiding situations to present itself as righteous before men outwardly. Even if someone genuinely controls their actions and steers clear of situations, it won't last for long. Because the function of a Sinful Nature that resides inside us (Rom 7:20) is to lead the soul to sin or have corrupt thoughts/intentions/emotion. Hence trying to keep the cup clean outside (FIRST) stands vain before God.
The following incident from the Bible strengthens my argument. The Scribes and Pharisees caught a woman red-handed in adultery and brought her to Jesus to test Him in accordance with the Law. But He said, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And all who condemned her deeds left one by one. Why had they gone? Because their conscience convicted them. Not that they had committed adultery in their lives but realized they too have Sin inside them but had clean deeds outside. Therefore, in haste, don’t hate or judge those who sin, knowing that we, indeed, have a sinful nature to commit the same sin but have been kept by God because of His grace.
Paul Said, “I’m blameless” according to the Law (Phil 3:6), but also admitted “chief of all sinners” according to the Gospel (1 Tim 1:15). How is it possible for a blameless man to simultaneously be the worst sinner? His understanding of sin and righteousness had shifted from external conformity to internal transformation of the Soul, which is the core of the Christian faith.
Therefore, deeds aren’t the prime factor, but our thoughts, desires and feelings determine our spirituality. Let us not take pride in the good deeds we practice outwardly (like the blind Pharisees) but humbly progress inwardly in love, holiness, and humility with the help of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
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An unique thought.