LUKE 11:37-41
Luke 11:37-41
37. And while he was speaking, a certain Pharisee requested him to dine with him; and he
entered and sat down at table. 38. And when the Pharisee saw it, he wondered that he had not first
washed before dinner. 39. And the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the
282 “Cette cruelle diablesse ;” — “that cruel female devil.”
283 “Auquel Dieu a voulu que ses Prophetes ayent soustenu de grans combats et rudes alarmes ;” — “on which God determined
that his Prophets should sustain powerful combats and fierce alarms.”
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cup and of the plate; and what is within you is full of cruelty and wickedness. 40. Fools, did not
he who made what is without make also what is within? 41. But out of what you have 284 give alms;
and, lo, all things are clean to you.
This narrative agrees in some respects, but not entirely, with the doctrine laid down by Matthew,
(10:1-20 ,) that Christ, in order to correct the superstition of the people, and particularly of the
scribes, intentionally disregarded outward ceremonies of human invention, which the Jews were
too solicitous to observe. God had prescribed in his Law certain kinds of washings, that by means
of them he might train his people usefully to the consideration of true purity. The Jews, not satisfied
with this moderate portion had added many other washings, and more especially, that no person
should partake of food till he had been washed with the water of purification, as Mark relates more
minutely, ( 12:3,4 ,) and as is also evident from John, ( 2:6.) This fault was accompanied by wicked
confidence; for they cared little about the spiritual worship of God, and thought that they had
perfectly discharged their duty, when the figure was substituted in the place of God. Christ is fully
aware that his neglect of this ceremony will give offense, but he declines to observe it, in order to
show that God sets very little value on outward cleanness, but demands the spiritual righteousness
of the heart.
- Now you Pharisees Christ does not here charge the Pharisees, as in Matthew, ( 15:1-20 ,)
and Mark, ( 12:2-13 ,) with serving God in an improper manner by human inventions, and breaking
the law of God for the sake of their traditions; but merely glances at their hypocrisy, in having no
desire of purity except before the eyes of men, as if they had not to deal with God. Now this reproof
applies to all hypocrites, even to those who believe that righteousness consists in ceremonies
appointed by God. Christ includes more than if he had said, that it is in vain to serve God by the
commandments of men, (Mark 7:7 ;) for he condemns generally the error of worshipping God by
ceremonies, and not spiritually, by faith and a pure affection of the heart.
On this point the prophets had always contended earnestly with the Jews; but, as the minds of
men are strongly inclined to hypocrisy, they proudly and obstinately adhered to the conviction, that
God is pleased with external worship, even when it is not accompanied by faith. But in the time of
Christ, they had sunk to such depth of folly, that they made religion to consist entirely in absolute
trifles. Accordingly, he directs his accusation against the Pharisees, for being extremely careful to
wash cups, and cherishing within their hearts the most abominable filth of cruelty and wickedness
He charges them with folly on this ground, that God, who created that which is within the man, his
soul, as truly as the body, cannot be satisfied with a mere external appearance. The chief reason
why men are deceived is, that they do not consider that they have to deal with God, or, they transform
Him according to the vanity of their senses, as if there were no difference between Him and a mortal
man.
- But out of what you have, give alms. Christ, according to his custom, withdraws the Pharisees
from ceremonies to charity, declaring that it is not water, but liberality, 285 that cleanses both men
and food. By these words he does not disparage the grace of God, or reject the ceremonies of the
284 “Des choses presentes, ou, de ce que vous avez ;” —”of present things, or, of what you have.”
285 “Mais que c’est une prompte affection de faire bien a ceux qui sont en necessite ;” — “but that it is an active disposition to
do good to those who are in want.”
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Law as vain and useless; but addresses his discourse to those who feel confident that God will be
amused by mere signs. “It is the lawful use alone,” he says, “that sanctifies food. But food is rightly
and properly used by those who supply from their abundance the necessities of the poor. It would
therefore be better to give alms out of what you have, than to be careful about washing hands and
cups, and to neglect the poor.”
The inference which the Papists draw from these words, that alms are satisfactions, by which
we are cleansed from our sins, is too absurd to require a lengthened refutation. Christ does not here
inform us by what price we must purchase the forgiveness of sins, but says that those persons eat
their bread with cleanness, who bestow a part of it on the poor. I understand the words, τὰ ἐνόντα ,
to mean “the present supply,”286 and not, as Erasmus and the old translator render them, “what
remains over.”287
The reproofs which immediately follow may be reserved, with greater propriety, for another
occasion. I do not think it probable that Christ, while sitting at table, indulged in this continuous
strain of invective against scribes and Pharisees, but that Luke has introduced here what was spoken
at another time; for the Evangelists, as we have frequently mentioned, paid little attention to the
order of dates.
