This is part of a year-long series. Find out more about this series by reading the introductory post here.

Luke 11:37–42, 52 Jesus Dines with a Pharisee

“As He was speaking, a Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and reclined at the table. When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that He did not first perform the ritual washing before dinner. But the Lord said to him: “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and evil. Fools! Didn’t He who made the outside make the inside too? But give from what is within to the poor, and then everything is clean for you.

“But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass justice and love for God. These things you should have done without neglecting the others.

“Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge! You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered those who were going in.””

The Pharisees assumed that portraying a righteous facade granted them salvation. Their efforts went towards maintaining this facade instead of having a humble spirit towards God.  We too must be sure that we are not more concerned with our public image than we are at maintaining a humble spirit. Are we quick to communicate to others that we know how to act, how to fit in, how to mimic if we have to? Or are we concerned with remaining soft and humble before God? Our actions are physical representations of what is in our spirit. What are our actions telling us about our hearts?

The Pharisees neglected the pursuit of knowledge and hindered those who sought it all the while portraying themselves as the examples and standard for righteousness.  Jesus rebuked them as hypocrites because their hearts did not desire knowledge of God and righteousness but to be seen as the elites with all the answers.