The difference this time is that Jesus goes on the offensive. It's another meal with a pharisee, whose criticism is muted, passive-aggressive at worst. He merely expresses surprise that Jesus hasn't gone in for elaborate rituals of washing before the meal.
I don't support he was expecting to have his head bitten off for the next 6 verses. And when a lawyer takes offence as well, Jesus gives him both barrels for another 7 verses.
He's definitely getting something off his chest today.
Let's see what he actually says.
You wash the outside, and ignore the inside. Shiny surfaces, covering up corruption.
You obey the law in the tiniest details - nothing is too small for you to tithe (meticulously give 10% to God) while the biggest obligations on you go unheeded: justice for the poor, love for God.
You love getting praise, but people don't know what you truly are - like an unmarked grave, people can be walking over rotting flesh, and not realise it.
Yes. That's offensive, alright. So it's hardly surprising when a lawyer speaks up, quite respectfully. "Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also."
Boom! Off goes Jesus again. You lawyers, you're just as bad, weighing people down with burdens they can barely carry, and not lifting a finger to help them. You build pretty tombs for the prophets, and make out you respect their memory, but you don't listen to what they said.
They didn't die of old age, most of them. They were silenced, by righteous pricks like you.
There you all are, saying to everybody, "This way to wisdom! Oh dear, is the door locked? You'll just have to stay stupid, won't you?"
That's it. No more polite dinner invitations for Jesus. From now on, he's made implacable enemies of 1st century Jewish OFSTED.
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