This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me, 

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- '(that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many other such things you do."

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 

- Mark 7:1-23 

 

Yesterday we read that when evening came, the boat of the disciples was in the middle of the sea; and Christ was alone on the land, where He had remained to pray on the mountain.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.   

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips,

but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- '(that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many other such things you do."   My study Bible comments that the issue here is not the observation of Jewish customs or traditions, which Christ certainly does not prohibit (Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23).  What is, in fact, at issue here is setting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God, as Christ says.  The tradition of the elders, my study Bible explains, is a body of interpretations of the Law, which for the Pharisees and the scribes was as authoritative as the Law, and frequently superseded it.   In this tradition, offerings (called Corban) could be promised to God in a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself, but not for anyone else -- including parents.  My study Bible says that secondary traditions such as this obscure the primary tradition of the Law, which is contained in God's commandments.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13.

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."  My study Bible comments that food cannot defile a person because it is created by God and is therefore pure.  Evil things, such as are named here by Christ, are not from God -- and these are what defile a person.  

If we consider the topic of healing, as we did in yesterday's commentary, we might observe that once again, Jesus is giving us aspects of Himself as Physician, and what it means for us to heal and find salvation.  This is made explicitly clear when He distinguishes the difference between the traditions around washing and food consumption, and what truly defiles a person in spiritual terms.  Overall, He makes the distinction in today's reading between the commandments of God and the traditions of human beings.  Whatever good we derive from human traditions, it does not supersede the things that come from God, the divine action of grace, the Holy Spirit and God's action in the world.  Jesus makes a perfect example out of the tradition of Corban, and the treatment of parents -- who, at Christ's time, had no sort of social payment system to rely on but had primarily to rely on children and extended family if they were dependent.  (As an aside, we might note how Christ, in this strong criticism, is defending His disciples against the criticism of the Pharisees and scribes.)  We can watch our diet, we can be proud of the discipline we have, for example, in fasting, or in ways in which we follow social custom.  But there is nothing that supersedes the word of God and the commandments of God, especially in terms of our salvation and that which heals us and gives good spiritual health in God's sight.  For, as we repeatedly are given to understand, God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).  We note that Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah in which God declaims, "But their heart is far from Me."  As Jesus will do several times in the Gospels (most notably in Matthew 23), Jesus condemns hypocrisy.  Yet even this condemnation we must see through the lens of Christ as the great Physician, our Savior who heals us.  We must come to know hypocrisy as a true corrupter and poisoner of our souls, and something that provides a deep interference to salvation.  For without honesty about where our hearts truly are -- and how far or near they are to God and the love of God -- without this deepening of faith, we will not heal.  We will not be healed in the spiritual sense that Christ's salvation provides.  How can we, without being truly honest with ourselves, deepen our faith, and come to Christ in all humility?  This is vehemently stated in today's reading, as Christ gives His scathing criticism to the religious leaders.  But in effect it is teaching us about what we need for healing, what truly "defiles" and corrupts -- and we must see this in the nature of salvation and Christ's efforts to save.  We cannot deepen our faith without understanding this, and everything -- especially our healing and salvation -- depends on that movement toward Christ, our hearts drawing close to God.  Let us take it all "to heart" and understand more comprehensively Christ's healing mission in all its dimensions for us.

 

This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So he said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 

- Mark 7:1-23 

 Yesterday we read that when evening came, the boat with the disciples was in the middle of the sea; and Jesus was alone on the land (as He had gone to the mountain alone to pray).  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up to the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

 

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  My study Bible says that the issue here is not the observation of Jewish customs or traditions, which Jesus certainly does not prohibit (Matthew 5:17-19, 23:23).  The issue here is when human tradition is set in contradiction to the tradition of God.  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law, which fir the Pharisees and the scribes was as authoritative as the Law, and frequently superseded it.  According to that tradition, offerings (called Corban) could be promised to God in a way that property or earnings would still be used for oneself but not for anybody else, including parents.  My study Bible adds that secondary traditions such as this obscure the primary tradition of the Law, which is contained in God's commandments.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13.

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So he said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."  My study Bible comments that food cannot defile a person because it is created by God and is therefore pure.  Evil things are not from God, and those things are what defile a person.

In all things, Jesus suggests that our loyalty is to God, first, last, and always.  This is not just some abstract notion, but given with an understanding that we find God's commandments in the Scriptures.  For Christians, we have the Scriptures of Old and New Testaments, and the Old Testament Scriptures -- for us -- are read in the light of Christ, the Lord who was Incarnate in Jesus.  For us, Jesus, as He said of Himself, is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17).  Moreover, He also said of Himself that anyone who has seen Christ has seen the Father (John 14:9).  Through the Revelation, we know Christ as "the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" (Revelation 22:13).  From this we conclude that Christ speaks through all of the Scriptures, and that He, as authority in our lives and our world, is all in all.  What does that mean for us in terms of today's reading?  It means that Christ has already pointed out for us what discernment means.  We know the Scriptures and we know His words.  Are there traditions we're asked to keep -- be they nominally "religious" or otherwise -- that are stand in contradiction to the spirit or the word of His teachings?  We know what He has taught us.  We have, for instance, the Beatitudes that teach us His notion of what a truly blessed life is in Matthew 5:1-12.  For that matter, we have the context of the Sermon on the Mount (which began with the Beatitudes), in Matthew 5 - 7.  We have the Sermon on the Plain given in Luke's Gospel (Luke 6:20-49).  These are Christ's sermons, as reported to us by the Evangelists.  Moreover, all of Christ's teachings are here in the Gospels, and we have the Epistles as well which explain to us so much about the teachings, and give us advice as given to the early Churches about how to live a Christ-centered life following His commands.  As St. Paul writes to the Corinthians, we have one Christ to follow:  "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" (1 Corinthians 1:13).  So if we come up against questions in our lives about practices that are nominally good, we have a place to go against which to test them, found in the Scriptures.  And, as one who comes from a Church with an ancient root, one may profess that the traditions of the Church must also be abiding in these teachings of Christ, including what we understand through St. Paul and other teachers of the Church throughout time.  The Church has also given us saints whose lives express the image of what it is to be dedicated to Christ.  In all of these ways and more, we can measure for ourselves what it means to put God first in our lives, and we know the standard whereby everything else from among all the things we can choose must be measured.  Possibly the most important lesson we learn today, in a world filled with a dizzying array of choices for all of us, from all kinds of sources, is that we have a standard by which we are to measure what we do, what customs we hold, what practices -- secular or otherwise -- we choose to honor in life.  Perhaps the best place to start is in prayer, for it is in being centered upon Christ that we know we are to find our answers to the questions posed to us in life.  But let us not simply honor Him "with our lips," but by understanding the love with which He guides us in life.

 

 

There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- '(that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 

- Mark 7:1-23 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus had sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee, when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- '(that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  My study Bible comments that the issue here is not the observation of Jewish customs or traditions, which Jesus most certainly doesn't prohibit (Matthew 5:17-19, 23:23).  The real issue here is setting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God, as Jesus explains ("For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do").  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law, which for the Pharisees and the scribes was just as authoritative as the Law, and, my study Bible says, often superseded it.  According to this tradition, offerings (called Corban) could be promised to God in a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself -- but not for others, including one's parents.  These types of secondary traditions obscure the primary tradition of the Law, my study Bible comments, which is contained in the commandments of God.

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."  My study Bible explains that food cannot defile a person because it is created by God, and is therefore pure.  Evil things ("evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness") are not from God, and these are what defile a person.

What is evil?  How do we know what evil is?  My study Bible explains Jesus' teachings in today's reading by saying that food is created by God, and therefore cannot be evil in and of itself.  Jesus says that evil things, or things which defile a person, come out of a person -- out of the heart.  What this does is shift our attention from external forms of "contamination" to a sense of ourselves as needing protection and vigilance for our hearts.  This is frequently called "guarding the heart."  It consists of watching our own thoughts, what we nurture within ourselves, the things we harbor, the habits we keep, even our automatic responses to things that provoke.  Human beings have all kinds of temptations and thought patterns which are sparked by or in some sense simply absorbed from the world we're born into.  Since sin is a part of our environment, so then is its influence -- and all the things Jesus names as evil here are a part of our environment.  We "learn" them the same way we learn to speak as children; in that sense, they are all around us.  But Jesus makes it clear that we are responsible for what we choose to keep and protect, to harbor and to allow to grow within ourselves.  We're responsible for what we nurture and dwell upon and cultivate and thereby grow in our hearts.  It's sort of like the seeds in the parable of the Sower, but in the inverse:  Christ as the Sower sows good seeds, and it's up to us to nurture those good things in our hearts and allow them to grow, and to protect them from the things that are harmful to them.   The "evil things" that Christ names in today's reading are those things that harm and destroy and compete with the seeds that Christ seeks to plant in us.  Jesus names them as "evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness."   An evil eye, one should understand, is generally known as envy, a malevolent lust for what doesn't belong to us but to someone else.  If we look closely at these "evil things" which Jesus names, we see that they all have a selfish component to them.  He's not talking about things done in self-defense or to protect others, but things which are a means to a selfish end, and often using others as though they were just material things to manipulate for our own desires.  But Jesus makes clear that we aren't merely victims or slaves to passing thoughts, but people with the capacity for self-awareness, and we are called to this awareness and to the work of guarding the heart.  We may all have weaknesses, but we are all expected to put in the effort to be aware of them and to seek to develop strength instead.  In Jesus' teaching there is the assumption that we all have agency; moreover, we all have spiritual help in this effort.  The work of psychology in modern form is all about using this agency, our own capacity for understanding ourselves and saying "no" to the things that aren't good for us and lead to harmful behavior.  In this modern context, therapy is meant to be engaged with effort and positive results; our weaknesses or existing bad habits are not an excuse to simply indulge in them.  Christ gives us a focus; we're not simply at the mercy of forces that batter us, and complete control and manipulation of what's around us is not the answer either to our spiritual questions.  Our real integrity is elsewhere.  Let us remember to focus on the place the heart, to keep and guard what is good, and to be on guard to cast out what defiles.