The Gospel according to Mark (7:1-13)
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
He responded,
“Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
In vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
He went on to say,
“How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
‘If someone says to father or mother,
“Any support you might have had from me is qorban”‘
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things.”
Reflection:
Today, as we are almost to the mid-point of Mark’s Gospel, it seems that the conflict between Jesus & the Pharisees has reached its peak. The main point of contention as Mark records it is how the Pharisees literally see the Law as God. They apparently forget the fact that the Law was given to guide God’s people toward Him – giving them “guardrails” as it were. To them, it was all about the “scorecard”, and whether or not you met all of the 600+ dictates in the Mosaic Law. They clearly missed the point.
Jesus’ response to them shows this. He directly tells them that they are disregarding God’s commandments, focusing on “human traditions”. They are missing the “spirit” of the Law. The example at the end of today’s reading shows that as well. They neglected the care of the people, and failed to see them as beloved children of God, not as “robots” who keep this law or that law, just to avoid punishment for failing to do so.
In my own life, as I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m an IT project manager. So, I am the keeper of the task list and the schedule. I’ve been a project manager for the last fifteen years or so, and I’ve seen many different approaches of the project managers I’ve worked with. Some are very much “type A” personalities, focusing on the schedule and being very myopic about anything that deviates from it. Folks who know me would probably say I am absolutely *not* “type A”. I am all about collaboration with the team and while that may make my endeavor as a project manager harder, in some ways, it is just the way I am. I like to think that is the same way I approach my faith, too. Yes, I do strive to keep the rules and help others to see why they are important. But, the rules are not the end. Striving to live a life that draws ourselves and others toward God – *that* is the “end”.
May we take this lesson to heart, especially as we look to the season of Lent starting next week. Yes, we should strive to keep the season as one of penitence and denial. But, let us also seek to renew our hearts that we may love better for having denied ourselves. That’s the real intent for the season we start soon. May we keep that in mind as we enter that blessed season next Wednesday!
Today, we also remember St Paul Miki and his companions, martyrs to the faith in Japan in the 16th Century. It may seem far removed from us, but many in our world today still suffer for the faith, but consider the faith to be worth dying for. May we see our first identity as that of a child of God, and may we live lives showing that identity is our first priority.
St Paul Miki & companions, pray for us.
Action for the Day:
Pray for our church leaders and for each other, that we may not be only about the rules, but about living life as a follower of Jesus in such a way that His love shines forth in our actions and the kindness we share each day.
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