Romans 1:16-25 / Luke 11:37-41
To say that someone behaved worse than an animal is certainly very derogatory and utterly insulting.
Scripture tells us that human beings are made in the image of God and hence human beings are way above the other creatures on earth.
Human beings are endowed with intellect and will, with reason and freedom of choice, so that we can truly live up to our dignity and walk the ways of God and be holy in all that we do.
But the history of mankind is splattered with immorality and atrocities of almost every imaginable kind, such that it can be said that mankind at times have behaved worse than animals.
St. Paul would say this in the 1st reading: That is why such people are without excuse. They knew God and yet refused to acknowledge Him as God or thank Him. They made nonsense out of logic and their empty minds were darkened. With their filthy enjoyments and practices they dishonour their own bodies since they have given up divine truth for a lie and have worshipped and served creatures instead of the Creator.
Yes, we desire some creature comforts but those desires can slowly turn into pleasures of the flesh and then the corruption, the impiety and the depravity on the outside, will keep the truth imprisoned within and locked up by wickedness.
And that is also the warning of Jesus in today's gospel passage - You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness.
And then Jesus also said this - Did not He who made the outside make the inside too?
Hence, what we do is an expression of what we are and what we believe in.
We believe in God who is the source of all truth and good, holiness and beauty. Let what we believe in be expressed by what we do and how we behave.