Cleaning The Outside of the Cup

Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts; who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation. And he looked up, and saw the rich men that were casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than they all: for all these did of their superfluity cast in unto the gifts; but she of her want did cast in all the living that she had. And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and offerings, he said, As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in which there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Luke 20:46-21:6

Alan’s song One Coin In My Pocket is my favorite song of his.  

Just one coin in my pocket, one coin to my name

I’m going to drop it in the offering box, I’m going to give it all away

But it’s everything I have Lord, I have nothing to my name

I know it isn’t much; I’m gonna lay it on your throne of grace.

But that is not what this verse is about.  Not at all.  When you look at its context.

It is about the exploitation of the stranger, the poor, the fatherless, the widow, the innocent by the religious leaders.  For their selfish glory.  For their insatiable appetites.  The honorable and decent and very hungry widow gives everything away to these false teachers.  To something that is of no value, the temple that will shortly will be utterly destroyed, not one stone upon another.  

Woe to those leaders, the religious and political leaders of the day, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

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.”

And dear LORD, as we drown in political and religious rhetoric, let us be tender to your voice.  The same voice that called out,“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”

May I be willing.