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Mr. Clean

"After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home.  He entered and reclined at table to eat.  The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal.  The Lord said to him, "Oh you Pharisees!  Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil.  You fools!   Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?  But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you." (Luke 11:37-41)

This reading from Luke needs no explanation.   It gets right to the point: external appearances can mask a nasty interior – one “filled with plunder and evil.”   These are ones that beguile and deceive while looking so very fine.

“Actions speak louder than words” is another way of making the inside “clean.”  For those of us in need of an inner bath, Jesus tells us our soap is charity – alms – making us clean inside as well as out.  Jesus is our modern-day Mr. Clean.

Deacon David Pierce

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