Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 11:39

"And the Lord said unto him, Now ye the Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter; but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness." — Luke 11:39 (ASV)

In Jesus’ estimation, the “Pharisees” (see comment on Mk 2:15–16) had lost the heart of their religion. In vv.41–42b Jesus offers a positive corrective that clearly shows he did not oppose strict attention to religious duties but rather the neglect of caring about people (cf. 10:25–37). Jesus implies that in their “greed and wickedness” (v.39) the Pharisees were depriving the poor of the very food and drink that were “inside” their own carefully washed dishes (v.40). Likewise (v.42) they apparently were tithing possessions that they should have shared with the needy. The vivid simile in v.44 is an example of Jesus’ use of irony (see comments on Mt 23:23–24). Though the Pharisees avoided touching a grave for fear of ritual defilement, they themselves, through their own unrecognized corruption, were defiling those who came into contact with them.