But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus flips the script on the Pharisees' obsession with external rituals, saying that true cleanliness comes not from washing cups, but from sharing what's inside them with the needy. When you act out of love and generosity, even the food you eat and the very vessels it's in become cleansed in God's eyes.
But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is at a Pharisee's home for dinner, and he's just challenged their obsessive focus on ritualistic washing, pointing out their inner corruption. He contrasts their outward cleanliness with their inward greed and wickedness, urging them to prioritize true righteousness. This verse is Jesus' solution: instead of just cleaning the cups and plates, share their contents with the poor.
Jesus confronts the Pharisees' obsession with outward cleanliness. What does He say truly purifies?
Jesus challenges the Pharisees' focus on ritual washing. He points to the contents of their cups and dishes, urging them to 'give alms of such things as ye have.' This isn't just about emptying their plates; it's a call to share their abundance with the needy.
True Cleansing Comes from Generosity
The core idea is that true purity isn't achieved through external rituals alone. Instead, it's found in an inner disposition of generosity that naturally leads to action. When your heart is inclined to share what you have – even if it was acquired through less-than-ideal means – you begin to experience a transformation.
Jesus links sharing with the poor to eating with 'clean hands.' What's the surprising connection?
The Pharisees were meticulous about washing their hands before meals, a symbol of ritual purity. Jesus subverts this entire idea. He suggests that true cleanness isn't about avoiding ritual contamination, but about actively engaging in acts of charity.
Generosity as the Ultimate Purity Ritual
When you share your resources with those less fortunate, you're not just performing a good deed; you're demonstrating an inner righteousness that pleases God. This act of giving purifies not only your intentions but also your very experience of life. Your meals, your possessions, your entire existence become sanctified because you've prioritized compassion over self-preservation.
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Understand the original words
eleēmosynē · Greek Noun
Voluntary giving of money or goods to those in need, viewed in biblical tradition as an act of righteousness and mercy before God.
katharos · Greek Adjective
Being in a state of ceremonial or moral purity, acceptable to God and free from defilement or sin.
This teaching on inner purity through giving alms directly confronts the Pharisaic obsession with outward ritual cleanliness, revealing that generosity and compassion are the true means of sanctifying one's life and possessions.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Pharisaic emphasis on ritual purity
The Pharisees and their followers developed a complex system of ritual washings and purity laws extending beyond what was stated in the Torah, particularly concerning food and eating utensils.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' dining invitation
A Pharisee invites Jesus to dine with him, providing an opportunity for Jesus to directly challenge the Pharisee's understanding of purity and hypocrisy.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' critique of externalism
Jesus contrasts the Pharisees' meticulous external cleansing of cups and plates with their inner corruption, calling them 'fools' for focusing on outward appearances.
Early 1st century AD
The principle of true cleanness
Jesus teaches that true cleanness comes not from ritual washing but from internal righteousness, expressed through acts of charity and generosity, making all things clean.
This verse echoes Jesus' emphasis by stating, 'For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God, rather than burnt offerings.' It highlights God's preference for genuine inward devotion and acts of kindness over mere outward religious ritual, just as Jesus points to giving alms from what one possesses as the true purifying act.
Matthew 23:25-26Jesus directly addresses the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, saying, 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside, they are full of greed and self-indulgence.' This passage directly parallels Luke 11:39-40, explaining that outward cleanliness is meaningless if the inner life is corrupted by sin, particularly greed which Jesus contrasts with giving alms.
Luke 16:10-11Jesus teaches, 'Whoever is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?' This connects to Luke 11:41 by framing wealth, especially if ill-gotten, as a test, and suggests that using such 'dishonest wealth' for alms is a way to demonstrate faithfulness and spiritual cleanliness.
1 Timothy 6:17-19Paul instructs Timothy regarding the rich, 'As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in God, who furnishes us richly for all enjoyment. Charge them to do good, to be rich in good works, generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future.' This aligns with Jesus' teaching that true riches and purity come from generosity with one's possessions, rather than hoarding them.
vincentLuke 11:41: "But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you."
Such things as ye have (τὰ ἐνόντα)Only here in New Testament. Commentators differ as to the meaning, but generally reject that of the A. V. Rev., those things which are within. The meaning is, give alms of the contents of the cups and platters. Jesus is insisting upon inward righteousness as against pharisaic externalism, and says: "Your virtue consists in washing the outside, and making…
calvinLuke 11:37-41: "And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat."
- And while he was speaking, a certain Pharisee requested him to dine with him; and he entered and sat down at table. 38. And when the Pharisee saw it, he wondered that he had not first washed before dinner. 39. And the Lord said to him, Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate; and what is within you is full of cruelty and wickedness. 40. Fools, d…
Jesus flips the script on the Pharisees' obsession with external rituals, saying that true cleanliness comes not from washing cups, but from sharing what's inside them with the needy. When you act out of love and generosity, even the food you eat and the very vessels it's in become cleansed in God's eyes.
Jesus is at a Pharisee's home for dinner, and he's just challenged their obsessive focus on ritualistic washing, pointing out their inner corruption. He contrasts their outward cleanliness with their inward greed and wickedness, urging them to prioritize true righteousness. This verse is Jesus' solution: instead of just cleaning the cups and plates, share their contents with the poor.
Jesus is at a Pharisee's home for dinner, and he's just challenged their obsessive focus on ritualistic washing, pointing out their inner corruption. He contrasts their outward cleanliness with their inward greed and wickedness, urging them to prioritize true righteousness. This verse is Jesus' solution: instead of just cleaning the cups and plates, share their contents with the poor.
"But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you." — Jesus flips the script on the Pharisees' obsession with external rituals, saying that true cleanliness comes not from washing cups, but from sharing what's inside them with the needy. When you act…
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Last reviewed October 2026