Betty thought she was doing a neighborly thing by helping with the dishes. When she noticed all the stained coffee mugs, she dosed them with cleanser. Unfortunately, that kind act received the wrath of the cup owner who apparently liked dirty cups.
Betty was in good company. Jesus doesn’t like dirty dishes either.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. (Matthew 23:25-26, NIV)
What is on the inside of our cup? What stains are we refusing to let God deal with?
It’s one thing to observe rituals and traditions (see Mark chapter 7) and quite another to be sold out completely to the cleansing of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer – Lord God, we draw near to you and give you permission to cleanse us both inside and out. For Christ who died to make that possible. Amen
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