The Solution Is Closer Than We Think

 

Luke 11:37-41

Jesus confronts an Expert of the Law

³⁷ When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸ But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

³⁹ Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. ⁴⁰ You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? ⁴¹ But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

Most of the time the solution to a problem is much simpler than we think. Here, Jesus attacks the core of the problem, that which lies within:  "greed and wickedness".  If all it takes is almsgiving to eliminate these vices, what are we waiting for?  Almsgiving, provided it is not just "surface giving," but from the heart, can have a purging and healing effect on the vices that bloom within.  When we are generous to the poor, may our generosity come from our hearts not just our wallets.

Bro. Rene