‹ Back

Luke 11:38 "The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner."

 

I think I would have been a little surprised, too, to see Jesus not wash up before a meal. I doubt this was His normal procedure, rather He skipped the washing in order to make the very point He does in answer to the Pharisee's astonishment. Jesus says "[Y]ou Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness." (Luke 11:39). And He doesn't stop there, he goes on to further excoriate the Pharisees, and then the lawyers for good measure. (Luke 11:42-52).

 

I consider myself a follower of Jesus, I love Him and hope that I would go anywhere with Him, listening to His every word. But I realize that sometimes I would have been very uncomfortable as one of His disciples. Jesus is not afraid to make a scene; He's not intimidated; He's not timid about calling people out, even in their own homes; He does not worry about the niceties of social etiquette, but takes every opportunity to speak truth, even when it is uncomfortable. It really could not have been easy to stay with Him all the time, I can imagine myself cringing inside from time to time, as much as I hate to admit it.

 

Jesus was not about going along to get along, he was about saving souls, which sometimes required pointing out wickedness and corruption, especially among religious leaders. He asks His followers to stay with Him as He does this, and sometimes asks us to do the same. When we see corruption or a drifting from truth, especially in the Church, rather than avoid confrontation or impoliteness, we should also not be afraid to speak up, as uncomfortable as it may be.