Woe to you, hypocrites, scribes and Pharisees, because you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside it is full of greed and self-indulgence.
In this saying, Jesus exposes the deep root of false piety by setting outward cleanliness against inner corruption. The Pharisees strictly kept the laws of ritual purity, constantly washing their dishes and paying attention to outward details, but they neglected the condition of their heart and soul. They “cleaned the outside,” keeping an outward appearance “holy,” while inside—their mind and conduct—was full of greed, pride, and lack of self-control. By this example Jesus shows that true purity begins from within, because only a pure heart can express righteousness outwardly. If a person’s inner life is not cleansed, outward piety becomes a false mask.