You remember the story of Jonah, whose name in the New Testament is written Jonas. He was a prophet who lived long before the Lord Jesus was on earth, but the people Jesus talked to knew how Jonah was sent by God to the eastern city of Nineveh to warn the people that their city would be destroyed because of their awful sins.
The king and people of the city believed the words of Jonah, and sorrowed greatly for their sins, so God did not then destroy their city.
Jesus told the people who stood about Him that they were not wise as those who heard Jonah. They were listening to a far greater Prophet than Jonah, yet they did not believe His words of judgment to come, and were not sorry for their sins.
Then Jesus spoke of King Solomon who had lived in that land and was still highly honored by the people for his wisdom. Jesus reminded them of the queen who came on a long, hard journey from the south to see Solomon because she had heard of his wisdom.
Yet, when the Son of God, by whom Solomon was given his wisdom, came to that same land, and they could hear His wonderful words so easily, many did not want to listen. It was because they were not sorry for their sins, as the people of the wicked city of Nineveh were.
The Lord Jesus was greater than any prophet or king, and the people would have believed Him if they had not let their hearts be hard from sins.
Clean Hands and Dirty Hearts
One man invited Jesus to a meal at his home, but he seemed only looking to find fault with Him. Jesus went to his home and sat down to the table without first washing His hands.
The man thought that was a great sin, for he and others were very careful about washing, and had many rules just how it should be done. Jesus did not mean that it is wrong to wash soiled hands, but He knew how careful these men were of their laws of clean hands and dishes, while they were careless of the pride and sins in their hearts, which made them unclean before God. He took this way to show them their wrong. He said they “made clean the outside of the cup and the platter” but within was “wickedness.”
They made laws for the people, which they did not keep. They were proud of having a high seat in the synagogue, and to have the people greet or bow to them in the marketplace, yet they did not believe God’s words.
The laws of the nation of Israel were for all to give a portion of their crops or herds or wealth for the work of the temple and the men there. This portion was called a tithe. Jesus said these men were very careful to weigh or measure a tithe of such small things as mint, or other herbs they had, but did not consider the great things of God’s love or His judgment of sins. (See Leviticus 27:3030And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord. (Leviticus 27:30)).
Jesus knew the men’s hearts and the wrong they were doing and spoke plainly to show them. There is a lesson for us also to think of: no matter how well we wash our hands and faces, God sees into our hearts and knows if we believe His words.
Further Meditation
1. Why were the people that Jesus spoke to not as wise as the men that Jonah prophesied to?
2. What are some examples today of paying attention to the small details of Christianity and missing its heart?
3. A wonderful and simple meditation on the heart can be found in the leaflet The Submissive Heart by E. Dennett.