"You cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence."
Matthew 23:25
I always smile at this reading, because I remember, nine years ago, when it was so vividly illustrated to me when son Blaine left for college. We always called his downstairs bedroom the "Bermuda Triangle" because things disappeared down there, never to be seen again! After he left, we ventured in and found a cup that had been there for years, with whatever-had-been-in-it dried and crusted. With a little soaking, bleach, and scrubbing, the cup became like new again. It is so much easier for me to look like a good girl than it is for me to actually think kind and loving thoughts! Appearances alone should be enough, shouldn't they? No. Not according to Jesus. God looks much more at the inside of our cup than the outside. God can see the potential of the insides of our cups, and how, with a little soap and scrubbing, we can be made new again. I tend to think of that scrubbing as the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which sure seems to help me feel clean and bright! Love, heidi
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