A heartfelt homily on Matthew 23:23-26 using the image of a village well to show how Jesus calls us to cleanse the inside of our hearts.
Praise be to Jesus Christ
There was a deep well in our village that everyone used. The water was fresh and good, and all the villagers drank from it with joy. One day, someone noticed that the water had begun to taste and smell bad. None of us could understand the reason. Some people said the well had been cleaned only a short time ago, so it could not be dirt. But the water still remained smelly and unpleasant. Finally, a few villagers decided to go down deeper and see. To our shock, we found a rotten rat inside. It had spoiled the whole water. Only after removing it and cleaning the well again did the water become fresh. From that day, I understood that regular cleaning is a must, because even a small hidden thing can pollute the whole well.
When I hear today’s Gospel, I remember that well. Jesus said, “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean” (Matthew 23:26). The key word for me is inside. Just as the well looked fine from above but was spoiled inside, so too our lives may look good outside while our hearts are polluted within.
Our heart is the well from which our words and actions flow. If the inside of our hearts are unclean with anger, jealousy, pride, or un-forgiveness, then whatever flows out of our hearts will not bring life. We may look holy outside, but the water we give will taste bitter.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Samuel was sent to anoint a king. He looked at the tall and strong brothers of David and thought surely one of them must be God’s choice. But the Lord said to him, “The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). God has always looked at the inside.
The psalmist also understood this when he prayed after his sin: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). David did not ask for honour, wealth, or reputation. He asked for a clean inside, because he knew that without that, nothing else mattered. What use is a well that looks good and strong outside but is broken within? It cannot give life.
In our families, this is very true. Many of us keep the outside of family life clean. When neighbours visit, we greet them kindly; we pray together aloud, we speak politely. But sometimes inside the home there may be silence, anger, or old wounds. Children may see parents praying the rosary but refusing to forgive each other or quarrelling with each other. This is a clear sign of washing the outside of the cup but leaving the inside dirty.
Saint Teresa of Avila, once compared the heart to an inner spring that waters a garden. If the spring is blocked, the whole garden dies. She teaches us that the true work of faith is to guard that inner source. The cleaning Jesus asks is like removing what blocks the flow of fresh water in the well of the heart.
Even in our religious practices, we may pay attention to the small details but forget the bigger matters. Jesus said, “You tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith” (Matthew 23:23). Today the same can happen. We may light candles in church, but neglect a poor neighbor. We may fast during Lent, but still hold grudges against a family member. The Lord is not against these practices, but He wants them to flow from a heart that is clean inside.
Like that well from my childhood, our hearts need regular cleaning. It is not enough to clean once. Every day, small things may fall into the well—little lies, harsh words, selfish choices. If we do not notice, they stay hidden but slowly spoil everything. That is why daily prayer, daily forgiveness, daily examination of heart is so important.
The good news is that the Lord does not only command us to clean. He Himself comes with His mercy to wash us. When we let Him remove what is rotten, our hearts become fresh again, and then living water flows from us to others.
Lord, give me a pure conscience. Amen.
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God Bless…
Rightly said and it’s absolutely beautiful homily. Thank you Father
A Pure heart person only can see every thing is pure , very good reflection, Nirmal Mary SAB,