Washing Dishes Jesus' Style

"Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." Matt. 23:26 NIV.

"Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the fine side dish-so that its outside can also come to be (be birthed) clean!" Matt. 23:25 Jonathan Mitchell New Testament Translation.

As a kid, Jesus probably had His share of chores. Obviously dishwashing wasn't one of them. I can picture my mother's reaction if I'd used his technique.

"But mom," I'd protest, "Jesus said..."

My plea would have fallen on deaf ears. My mom wouldn't have bought the idea that scrubbing the inside surface only would miraculously clean the exterior. I imagine Jesus' mother would have felt the same way.

I don't think Jesus advocated a short cut for cleaning dishes. Instead, He used ordinary everyday objects to teach an important spiritual principle.

What benefit is there in washing an object's exterior, and neglecting the interior where the real grime resides? Despite the outside's sparkle the accumulated remnants of previous meals would leave most guests at the dinner table squeamish. Hmmm. This could work on unwanted moochers. (Another technique: When chronic, uninvited quests show up for dinner, have you dog lick the plates clean and then put them back in the kitchen cabinets. Friends of our did this and their problem was solved. True story.)

The discourse between Jesus and the religious mafia had nothing to do with the cleanliness of culinary utensils. It was all about putting on a good show in order to impress others.

No matter our facade, who we are inside is the real person. Outer appearances that conflict with our inner reality are difficult to sustain. They do not penetrate inward and produce change for the better.

Jesus' method for cleaning dishes and one's life is radical. One needs to start inside where no one sees. That's were the filth is. Remove the crusty interior build up and the exterior will reflect the new inner condition.

If you're stuck with dish duty, sans dishwasher, there's no short cut to be found here. There is however, a divine mysterious method that can transform your life from the inside out.

The only genuine 100% money back guarantee comes from making Jesus your Lord and Savior. He'll start work on the inside and everything else will follow suit. As a dishwasher, His process is suspect; as a Savior, His way if foolproof.

How about you? What outer persona are you struggling to prop up and maintain? How do you feel when you discover that someone isn't whom you were led to believe they were? How did that affect you ability/willingness to get close to and to trust others? What benefits will result from dealing with your junk in the trunk? How will you and those around you benefit when you do?