I.
I guess you never know when an invitation to dinner will turn into a theological conversation.

Notice the criticism of Jesus the Pharisee has.

II.
Luke 11:37-44 (NRSVue)

While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him, so he went in and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? So give as alms those things that are within and then everything will be clean for you.

“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves on which people unknowingly walk.”

III.
I have the impression that the issue the Pharisee has with Jesus is not how he washes his “dirty” hands. Rather, it is Jesus is not following a prescribed ritual for washing before coming to eat.

If you were the host for this dinner, what behaviors of a guest might offend you? How they wash? The clothes they wear? Which chair they select? The type of conversation they engage in?

If you are the host do you get to set the rules for dinner behavior?

And if a guest criticizes you, the host, how do you feel about it? And what do you think of a person who dares criticize the host, the one providing the meal? If you invite someone in, and feed them, don’t you get to set all the rules?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}