<p>23:26&nbsp;<em>You blind Pharisee Cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the plate</em>- What was within them was a ravening (7:15) for material gain and plotting to obtain it (Lk. 11:39), extortion and lack of self-restraint (:25). There was of course no prescription in the Mosaic legislation for cleansing internal attitudes. But the Lord&rsquo;s command for them to cleanse these things surely suggests they were to think harder about what the sacrificial blood of cleansing might represent. The argument of Heb. 9:9-14; 10:2,22 is that the blood of Mosaic sacrifices could not cleanse from such internal conscience of sin- but the blood of Christ can. The Lord&rsquo;s command for them to &ldquo;cleanse&rdquo; their inner parts could therefore find no opportunity for fulfilment within their legal framework. But the language would&rsquo;ve recalled David&rsquo;s need to be cleansed in the inward parts after his sins relating to Bathsheba (Ps. 51:2). His request for cleansing was met by God&rsquo;s direct operation on his heart, because as he was aware, there was no prescribed sacrifice which could address his need. The scribes and Pharisees were surely intended to realize that they must ask God for special cleansing; and yet they knew that blood played some role in cleansing. Therefore they were intended to come to the conclusion that God could indeed cleanse them, but through some special sacrifice. The priests and Pharisees who later converted to Christ perhaps followed this path of logic to where the Lord intended it to lead (Acts 6:7; 15:5). His hopefulness in people finally paid off- setting us a great example.</p><p><em>That the outside of it of it may become clean also</em>- There is a jarring element of unreality here. Cleaning the inside of a cup doesn&rsquo;t make the outside clean. But that is the jump of faith required. The inside is the outside- in God&rsquo;s eyes. This reasoning continues the theme that &lsquo;God sees all things&rsquo; which the Lord has developed in :22; see on 23:22&nbsp;<em>By Heaven</em>.&nbsp;</p>