Blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside also may be clean.
Jesus, continuing the previous thought, explains the true order of spiritual cleansing. He calls a person first to cleanse what is inside—his heart, thoughts, and intentions—because only then will outward conduct also be clean. The Pharisees did the opposite: they cleansed their behavior on the outside so that people would see their “holiness,” but inside they remained unjust and proud. Jesus’ word reminds us that spiritual transformation begins from the inside outward, not that it is limited only to what is outward. When a person’s heart is cleansed by God’s grace, his deeds and words also become clean, and therefore outward forms no longer require an imitation of piety.