In Matthew 23:26, Jesus criticizes the scribes and Pharisees for focusing on outward appearances rather than inward purity. He states, “You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” This verse has been interpreted in different ways, but the overall message seems to be that Jesus cared more about internal righteousness than external rituals.
Here are some key points to understand this verse in context:
- Jesus was speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, religious elites who were strict about observing ceremonial laws but often neglected justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). They appeared righteous on the outside but were unrighteous on the inside.
- In Jesus’ day, cups and dishes were often rinsed before meals to remove impurities on the outside, but they could still have dirt and germs on the inside. Jesus used this as an analogy to rebuke the Pharisees for being obsessed with outward purity while neglecting their inner moral corruption.
- The phrase “first clean the inside” implies that internal righteousness is more important than external rituals. Cleaning the inside of a cup doesn’t make its outward appearance clean, but cleaning the outward appearance while neglecting the inside is hypocritical.
- Jesus often emphasized inner thoughts and attitudes rather than just outward behavior (see Matthew 5-7). He cared about purity of heart, not just going through ceremonial motions.
- This verse illustrates how God looks at the heart while humans tend to judge by external appearances (1 Samuel 16:7). The scribes and Pharisees honored God with their lips but not their hearts (Mark 7:6).
In summary, Jesus was criticizing hypocrisy and misplaced priorities. The scribes and Pharisees looked holy on the outside but were unrepentant and self-righteous on the inside. They were meticulous about ceremonial rituals but neglected justice, mercy and faithfulness. Jesus told them they should cleanse their inward corruption before focusing on outward appearance. He wanted heart transformation, not just external compliance.
This teaching emphasizes that God cares foremost about the condition of our hearts. Going through religious rituals means nothing if our attitudes and thoughts remain corrupt. Believers today must guard against Pharisaical hypocrisy and legalism. We should pursue inward renewal through God’s sanctifying work in our lives. As we become more Christlike on the inside, our outward lives will become more authentically righteous as well.
1. The Immediate Context: Jesus’ Critique of the Scribes and Pharisees
The key to properly understanding any verse is looking at the surrounding context. Matthew 23 contains Jesus’ major discourse against the scribes and Pharisees where he pronounced 7 woes upon them. Let’s look at some important points from this chapter:
- Jesus affirmed that the scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat and therefore have authority to teach God’s word (v. 2-3). However, their teaching was often hypocritical and self-serving.
- Jesus condemned them for adding heavy, cumbersome burdens to others while not lifting a finger to serve themselves (v. 4). Their legalism weighed people down.
- He rebuked them for doing good deeds just to receive recognition rather than to honor God (v. 5-7). They were people-pleasers, not God-pleasers.
- He criticized titles and hierarchy that elevate religious leaders, teaching instead that we only have one Master and Teacher – Christ (v. 8-12). The scribes and Pharisees loved prestigious titles.
- Jesus pronounced woes upon them for shutting people out of the kingdom, burdening converts, whitewashing sins with oaths, neglecting justice, mercy and faithfulness, being outwardly beautiful but inwardly corrupt, commemorating prophets their ancestors killed, and hindering seekers from knowing God (v. 13-36).
Matthew 23 shows that despite their scrupulous rule-keeping and rigorous study of Scripture, the scribes and Pharisees completely missed the heart of God. Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, pride, greed, self-indulgence, prejudice and inward corruption.
It’s in the midst of this biting rebuke that Jesus makes his metaphorical statement about cleaning the inside of cups and dishes. He uses this homey imagery to illustrate how the Pharisees cared so much about external purity while ignoring the wickedness in their hearts. Let’s explore the cultural background to better appreciate what Jesus meant.
2. The Importance of Ritual Purity in Jesus’ Day
To comprehend what Jesus was criticizing, we must understand the significance of ritual purity for the Pharisees. According to the Mosaic Law, the Jews had to maintain cleanliness and avoid uncleanness related to childbirth, illnesses, touching dead bodies, etc. (Leviticus 12-15). Elaborate rituals, sacrifices and ceremonies were prescribed to deal with impurity.
Over time, the Pharisees went far beyond the biblical requirements, establishing a complex set of traditions regulating hand washing, utensils, vessels, clothing and a myriad of other things that could transmit impurity (Mark 7:1-4). They sought to avoid even inadvertent violation of purity codes.
Washing hands, dishes, cups, etc. before eating was essential to prevent contamination. The Pharisees were meticulous about such outward cleansing rituals, believing external purity was a sign of righteousness and obedience to God. But Jesus recognized their outward obsession masked inward corruption.
3. The Inner-Outer Analogy in Matthew 23:25-26
The inner-outer distinction was a common metaphor in Jesus’ teaching:
- “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26)
- “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'” (Matthew 15:7-9)
- “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” (Matthew 15:18-19)
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because while they appeared holy and righteous on the outside, inside they were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. They fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy by honoring God with their lips but not their hearts. True righteousness requires inner transformation, not just external compliance.
4. What it Means to Cleanse the Inside of the Cup
So what exactly did Jesus mean by cleansing the inside of the cup? Here are some key points:
- Purity of heart: The inside of the cup represents our inward being – thoughts, attitudes, desires, motivations. Like a dirty cup, we are contaminated by sinful desires and attitudes.
- Repentance: Cleansing the inside signifies repentance – acknowledging our sinfulness, turning from wickedness and realigning our hearts with God.
- Regeneration: Only God can cleanse our hearts, regenerating us by the Holy Spirit and giving us new spiritual life in Christ (Ezekiel 36:25-27).
- Sanctification: As we walk with Christ, the Holy Spirit progressively cleanses and transforms us, making us more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18).
- Hypocrisy exposed: Outward rituals mean nothing if our inward being remains sinful and unregenerate. Cleansing the inner life is the starting point.
- Authentic faith: A pure heart will manifest itself in outward righteousness, genuine good works, treatment of others, etc. (Matthew 7:17).
Whereas the Pharisees obsessed over external ceremonies, Jesus taught that God cares foremost about our inward being. As Jesus said in Matthew 15:10, “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” All sinful actions begin with sinful attitudes and desires.
This is not to denigrate the importance of righteous outward conduct. But for our actions to be pure, our hearts and minds must first be purified by God’s grace. Clean water can only come from a clean fountain.
5. Additional Teachings of Jesus about the Heart
Jesus frequently emphasized the condition of our hearts:
- “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
- “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
- “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
- “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)
- “For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear.” (Matthew 13:15)
These verses illustrate how our hearts are the wellspring of our words, actions, character, and relationship with God. That’s why Jesus calls us to wholehearted devotion – loving God with full integrity of heart and mind.
The apostle Paul echoes this focus in passages like Romans 6:17, where he writes, “But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed.” Outward obedience must flow from inner transformation by God’s grace.
6. How This Teaching Applies Today
The principle behind Jesus’ cup metaphor is very applicable today. Some ways we can take this teaching to heart include:
- Examining our own lives for Pharisaical hypocrisy or legalism. Do we obsess over outward appearances while tolerating secret sins?
- Cultivating true repentance and purity of heart. Are there areas of inward corruption the Holy Spirit wants to cleanse and renew?
- Focusing on inner transformation over external ritual. Does our faith change us from the inside-out?
- Evaluating whether our obedience flows from a heart of love. Is it authentic or just for show?
- Meditating on cleansing promises like Ezekiel 36:25-27 and Hebrews 10:22.
- Allowing trials to expose and purify the hidden places of our hearts (Lamentations 3:40-43).
- Seeking first God’s kingdom internally rather than conforming to human expectations (Matthew 6:33).
May we never fall into complacency and self-righteousness. Like David, we should pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10). As we walk in repentance and faith, the Holy Spirit will produce increasing purity within that radiates out through our lives.
7. The Blessing of a Pure Heart
Having a clean heart brings tremendous blessings, including:
- The ability to see God (Matthew 5:8). Purity of heart allows us to perceive Him more clearly.
- Power over sin. As our hearts are purified, sin loses its power over us (Romans 6:17-18).
- Confidence to approach God (Hebrews 10:22). We can draw near without guilt.
- More effective prayer (Psalm 66:18). God does not listen to those who cherish sin.
- Wisdom and discernment (Proverbs 3:5-6). A pure heart opens the mind to receive God’s truth.
- A life Spirit-filled and fruitful for good works (Galatians 5:22-25). What flows out reveals what’s inside.
If we want these blessings, we must pray like David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). Cleansing must start on the inside.
8. Related Bible Verses and Principles
Other relevant verses related to Jesus’ teaching include:
- “God sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
- “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.'” (1 Samuel 16:7)
- “Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin’?” (Proverbs 20:9)
- “Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.” (1 John 2:4-5)
- “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil.” (Isaiah 1:16)
- “Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8)
Additional key principles include:
- We cannot cleanse or purify our own hearts – only Jesus can do this (Acts 15:9).
- Purity of heart involves complete devotion to God – loving Him with our whole being (Mark 12:30).
- Our outward actions cannot mask the true condition of our hearts to God (Luke 16:15).
- If we harden our hearts, we will not hear God’s voice or experience His blessings (Hebrews 3:8, 15).
- God cares more about inward integrity than rigid rule-keeping (Mark 2:27-28).
9. Addressing Potential Misunderstandings
Some common mistakes when interpreting Jesus’ cup metaphor include:
- Neglecting outward actions: While inward purity is most important, outward righteousness is still essential. Changed hearts should produce changed lives.
- Just going through the motions: Sitting in church, singing songs and taking communion matter little if we harbor secret sin without repentance.
- Using this to judge others: Only God truly knows the heart. We must remove the log from our own eye before judging others (Matthew 7:1-5).
- Assuming rituals have no purpose: The sacraments, worship and Christian disciplines can aid heart devotion, though they have no value apart from faith.
- Turning inward selfishly: Self-examination should increase our humility and grace for others. The Pharisees were self-focused.
Jesus’ teaching is an invitation to wholehearted consecration, not condemnation, pride or neglect of godly rituals. It’s a reminder to examine our own lives and depend fully on God’s cleansing grace.
10. Conclusion
Jesus’ metaphorical statement about washing the inside of cups and plates was a stinging rebuke to the Pharisees. Though obsessed with external purity rituals, they neglected the inward cleansing of their souls. The same metaphor calls us to evaluate our own lives today.
This vivid imagery reminds us that God looks first at the heart, not just outward appearances. Are we whitewashed tombs, appearing righteous but full of hypocrisy and wickedness inwardly? Or have we submitted ourselves fully to God for inner cleansing and transformation by the Holy Spirit?
Going through religious motions is worthless if our hearts remain defiled by sin. But when we walk in true repentance and purity of heart, our actions will follow suit, flowing from the new creation we have become in Christ. May we keep our hearts with all vigilance, embracing the sanctifying work of the Spirit to make us pure within.
