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 meet 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 commandments 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 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 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, as the disciples had been sent back across the Sea of Galilee by Jesus, 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 meet 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 commandments 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 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 explains that the issue in this passage is not the observation of Jewish customs or traditions, which are most definitely not prohibited by Christ (Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23).  The issue is setting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God.  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law, which for the Pharisees and the scribes was as authoritative as the Law, often superseding it.  So, according to this tradition (as my study Bible explains it) offerings (called Corban) could be promised to God, so it would render property or earnings still available to be used by oneself, but not for others -- including elderly 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; Exodus 20:12, 21:17.  

 

 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 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 here that food cannot defile a person because food is created by God and is therefore pure.  Evil things are not from God -- and these are what defile a person.  

 

 In today's reading, Jesus gives us an example of how we can take the wisdom of God and turn it into something oppressive by seemingly expanding our zeal for it.  Certainly gifts to God are a good thing; donations to our places of worship and providing for the needs of worship for people are good and uplifting things.  But here, traditions of men have been established that allow people to supposedly express their love of God with gifts that in the end wind up creating circumstances that go entirely against the spirit of the Laws of God. To call something Corban, a gift to God, a kind of offering to the temple in trust during one's lifetime, meant that the owner of this property or gift could then only use it for themselves.   In this case, the example is about gifts that otherwise could be used to help dependent, elderly parents but are instead preserved for only the donor's use.  The practice functions as an excuse to refuse needed help.  Let us recall that the people involved in this story lived in a society that had no social assistance in any number of dimensions of the state as we know it, and so people were dependent upon family and clan for all kinds of needs, even for redressing simple grievances, for example.  Even with all of the extended social fabric of today with its assistance, programs for seniors such as Medicaid or Medicare, Social Security, and a whole host of social services from varied levels of government or community, we will often find ourselves called upon as family to assist others who are in need of extra care.  With all our modern sensibility of the need to care even for those whom we don't know but who are nonetheless members of our society, we lack a perfect system; there is always a need for help, oversight, and effort for those who are dependent for any reason.  So, we can imagine the needs of elderly parents in Christ's time.  What Jesus is saying, as my study Bible explains it above, is that the system of traditions developed by the Pharisees and scribes actually hindered God's Law as given to Moses.  These traditions harmed the outcomes desired by God, the care and structure of community, particularly in the very basic need to help one's elderly parents.  Anyone who has tangled with a bureaucratic requirement that actually hindered getting care for oneself or a family member is familiar with this sense that the spirit of the law is hobbled by the letter of the regulation.  But when it comes to God's purposes, we understand a double layer of hypocrisy from those who have leadership positions and yet enable such common problems of selfishness behind a mask of piety.  Corruption exists today just as it did then, but Christ's outspoken complaint comes in defense of God and God's purposes, for which He has been sent to us.  This isn't simply a violation of basic norms or common courtesy.  This crosses over into a type of blasphemy, where the outward appearance of serving God perverts God's justice and direct teachings.  In our modern age, we might not quite understand the depth of problem such a violation really means or entails, for it's an act against the Spirit of God, against what has been given us by the Lord, not simply a social problem.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What comes out of a man, that defiles 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 pitcher 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 the disciples had taken toward the other shore was in the middle of the sea; and Jesus 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 pitcher 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 certainly are not prohibited by Jesus (Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23).  The issue here is putting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God.  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law.   For the Pharisees and scribes it was as authoritative as the Law, often superseding it.  Jesus' example, that of Corban, were offerings which could be promised to God so that property or earnings might still be used for oneself but not anybody else -- including parents.  My study bible tells us that secondary traditions such as these obscure the primary tradition of the Law, contained in God's commandments.   For Jesus' quotations from the Old Testament, see Isaiah 29:13; Exodus 20:12, 21:17; Deuteronomy 5:16.

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 says that food cannot defile a person.  It is created by God and is therefore pure.  Evil things are not from God.  These are what defile a person.

Jesus defines the things that defile a person:  evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  He further proclaims that these things come out of a man, and from within.  It is Jesus who has also warned us about our own blindness to ourselves (Matthew 7:3-5, Luke 6:42).  To defile is to make unclean.  By one definition, it means to "make common."  That is, to take something sacred and to treat it as ordinary -- to take what God has set apart as holy and make it mundane.   We find something akin to it in St. Paul's statement, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  How we hold and carry ourselves, the things we tolerate as expressions of ourselves, either hold ourselves to a particular standard -- the high esteem in which God has placed human beings -- or they defile us.  Jesus shifts entirely the image of defiling to something that is internal, a choice, even a sense of the self and what we consider true to ourselves.  In this we come to understand the notion of person, true image.   God -- Christ -- is the true mirror for who we truly are.  If He, the Creator, claims that in expressing these things we defile ourselves, then we have to take Him at His word if we are to even vaguely understand who we truly are.  We, in this light, betray ourselves with defiling behaviors and habits.  We can take a look at these things that Jesus lists here and see them all as types of betrayal.  They are mostly forms of deceit.  The evil eye, for example, is envy or jealousy.  It is a kind of covetousness, one that suggests that what we see others as having really should be ours.  This kind of thinking is not only belittling the other person as a human beings (reducing them to commodities we want to get), but it also reduces ourselves -- because the hidden thought here is that we as persons are somehow belittled by not having something we think others have got.   Jesus forces us to focus on true identity and the nature of the self with this statement.  He teaches us that the gold standard is really our own integrity, stemming from within us, upon which we must build our lives.  That integrity is intimately connected with the Creator who made us, and who knows us as we truly are.  Jesus' statement conveys the importance of self-knowledge, a kind of self-knowledge that only comes via the reflection in relationship to Creator.  When Simon Peter saw the huge catch of fish which came at Jesus' instruction, He fell down before Him, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" (Luke 5:5-8).  And the whole story of Peter's discipleship is one of overcoming his own inner impulses that hid the tremendous strengths that faith and grace would reveal in him.  If we learn one thing from Jesus, it is this tremendous shift to the work of salvation, found right here in these issues of the self, the true person -- and what defiles us.  It is the work of grace to reveal -- and our choice to embrace through faith and courage.

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 you 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, on the mountain where He had gone to pray.  Then He saw then 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 you 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."   Jesus quotes here from Isaiah 29:13.  My study bible tells us that the issue here isn't the observation of Jewish customs or traditions, which Jesus certainly does not prohibit (Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23).  What Jesus is calling into question is setting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God.  Jesus refers to the tradition of the elders, which is a body of interpretations of the Law, which for the Pharisees and scribes became as authoritative as the Law and frequently superseded it, as in the example Jesus gives here.   According to this tradition, my study bible tells us, offerings (called Corban) could be promised to God in such a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself, but not for anybody else, including parents.  My study bible says, "Secondary traditions such as this obscure the primary tradition of the Law, which is contained in God's commandments."

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."    Of this passage, my study bible summarizes Jesus' teaching:  "Food cannot defile a person because it is created by God and is therefore pure.  Evil things are not from God, and these are what defile a person."

Today's reading begins with a question that really seems more like a criticism:  the Pharisees and scribes ask why Jesus' disciples don't observe ceremonial washing practices before eating.  Jesus returns this volley with a sharp criticism of His own, and immediately names the Pharisees and scribes hypocrites, calling into question their own practices which mask things that go against the Law given by Moses.  It's a kind of defense of His disciples we can see here; on all occasions where they are somehow called into question, Jesus is always seen as protector and defender.  Even at times when He means to criticize His own disciples for some reason, they are taken aside and never humiliated in front of others.  So we first think of Jesus here as protector and defender of the disciples.  His aim here in teaching via His criticism of the Pharisees and scribes is to get us to consider the things of the heart, the depths of what a person is.  When He takes the example of Corban, He doesn't just make this point to criticize how money is collected or used in religious service.  What He does do is emphasize the fact that this practice takes away from the care of the elderly, of parents, and destroys the direct purposes of the Law as given by Moses in the Ten Commandments.  God's clear purposes are thwarted by the complexities of the traditions developed in this case around donations to the temple.  But Jesus' discussion doesn't extend further into issues about money, or greed, or even care of the elderly.  His discussion focuses on what is evil and what is good.  He offers us a deeper perspective here than all the issues that seem to be laid out in this dialogue.  Jesus poses to us a spiritual question:  What truly defiles us, and what doesn't?  That's a much deeper focus than anything else that appears to be "on the table," so to speak.  Here we delve into the spiritual struggle that is behind all other questions.  It's not the things of the world that are created by God that can defile in and of themselves; those don't have anything to do with what makes a person "unclean."   What really counts are the things that we choose to harbor within ourselves, those things that lead to real brokenness, and not the things that the Pharisees are focused on.  Jesus lists the things that can defile:  evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  Those are the things that can take root in the heart, and have nothing to do with the stomach.  In today's world, we seem to have a lot of emphasis on what we are like on the outside, such as what careful diets we follow; it's even sometimes treated as a moral question whether or not one follows a particularly fastidious diet, or where one buys food.  But where's the emphasis on the rest of it, on the inner life of the heart?  These are things that don't show so obviously to others, but they are what lead to all the problems we really do have, the things that get in the way of relationship and the way God calls us to righteousness, or "right-relatedness."  Do we really need to hear, for example, on the television or via the internet, how important it was that a celebrity dressed a certain way or another?   Can someone have a bad hair day without being treated as though they had committed  some sort of sin?  I'd say that all this external focus is a kind of poison that takes us away from the things that matter, and particularly from the things that are truly of God's love.  There's a powerful role to play in standing up to all the emphasis on some form of external correctness, and focusing on what one can do to incorporate the practice of the love of God in one's own life, and how that changes the inside of a person.  If only we paid as much attention to one as we do the to the other, perhaps our priorities would calm down a little and get down to what truly matters about a person.  Then we could think about the "plank in our own eye" without the hypocrisy that is so easy to evoke when our focus is elsewhere.  The external focus becomes a kind of endless competition and comparison, with endless rules we may or may not be violating.  But the interior focus becomes a different kind of a life, in which, with God's help, and dialogue in prayer, we truly seek to think about what's essential, what makes life better for ourselves and for others, what creates right-relatedness, and where we take a stand as an example in ourselves.  It's a far less frenetic and more truly "centered" life to do it Jesus' way, and one that takes humility for a virtue.  This is always the place He seems to ask us to go, into a thoughtful life and not into a chase after the "holier than thou" appearance that makes us "alright" in one setting or another.  So where's your focus today?  Do the things of the heart matter?  Or are we caught up trying so hard to appear perfect before others that we can't think of anything else?  Jesus calls us to a radical honesty with ourselves, and a knowledge of the heart.  That's a greater challenge, but the reward is far more genuine.