One and One Half-Egg Shells Luke 11:37-41
Ever since the inception of the Lord s church - Christians have congregated together on the First day of every week for a simple meal. The menu is always the same. A small piece of unleavened bread and a small sip of the fruit of the vine. And that s all that is needed. A Simple Meal
Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. (Therefore, he writes), let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. (1 Cor. 11:26-29) The Apostle Paul instructs us
Today we are commanded by God not only to be at the table when this meal is offered (not forsaking the assembly of the Saints), but to be fully prepared to eat this meal when it is served. Commanded by God
It s a vivid reminder that we have been bought with a price and the Spiritual cleansing that His blood affords If you have NOT obeyed the Gospel, you are still in your sins, and you cannot faithfully participate in the Lord s Table. You need to repent and be baptized. No one should leave here today uncertain, uncleansed, or lost. Not a Diversion- Worship
What God is MOST concerned with is not merely our actions, but our hearts. His focus is NOT merely on our physical behaviors, but our Spiritual Convictions. Our faith is to be an internal faith. Not merely an external religion. I say all of that to say this
These men were meticulous in the dress. They wore ornate vestments, and they were literally spotless on the outside. But in Matt 23:27-28 Jesus said Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness Outwardly your appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Symptomatically
Matt 23:13 & 15 13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Double Danger!
1 Pet 3:21-22 not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience-- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. Baptism Now Saves You
Jesus is in the home of a true ceremonialist. (Pharisee) He was there to be scrutinized and critiqued by his hosts. Luke 11:38 And when the Pharisee saw this, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. Luke 11:37ff
"The Law [in this case out of the Talmud, not the Law of Moses] laid it down that before a man ate (and in-between each of the courses) he must wash his hands in an absolutely inalterable way large stone vessels of water were specially kept for this purpose because ordinary water might be unclean; the amount of water used must be... enough to fill one and one half egg-shells, no more or less Wm. Barclay
First the water must be poured over the hands beginning at the tips of fingers and running right up to the wrist. Then the palm of each hand must be cleansed by rubbing the fist of one into the other. Finally, water must again be poured over the hand, this time beginning at the wrist and running down to the fingertips. To the Pharisee, to omit the slightest detail of this was to sin." Wm. Barclay
But the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. "You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? Luke 11:39-40
Matt 23:1ff 1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying, "The Scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them. 5 " they do all their deeds to be noticed by men Matt. 23:1-5
The word hypocrisy comes from the Greek ὑπόκρισις (hypokrisis), which means "play-acting." Hypokrites was therefore a technical term for a stage actor. Hypocrites -Actors
Matt 23:11-12 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 "And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. Greatness=Humility
41 " Give that which is within (Pharisees) as charity, and then all things {will be} clean for you. YOU NEED TO BE TRULY RIGHTEOUS START WITHIN. Stop acting. Start serving. Clean out the heart, and then the actions will follow Jesus Deepest Concern
Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are {in fact} unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. 5:7-8
May we never eat OUR supper in a room full of actors.
Remember, that what God is MOST concerned with is not merely our actions, but our hearts not merely our physical behaviors, but our Spiritual Convictions Therefore, NEVER accept external performance, when internal change is what God genuinely requires. How Do We Apply This?
Many were dying from dysentery and other similar conditions. It was soon discovered that the source was the local stream. The Scientist warned the people that something deadly was happening inside of them, but they didn t believe him, and they continued to die. Lesson from A Third World Village
The Scientist used a microscope to show the village leaders the parasites and contaminants that had infested the people. Lesson from A Third World Village
Moments later some of the villagers returned and they took the microscope and they smashed it into the ground. Moments Later
Luke 11:34 - "The lamp of your body is your eye; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. You can believe me or not. But it is the truth.