They are blind leaders of the blind

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

'These people draw near to Me with their mouth,

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "

When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us." So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

- Matthew 15:1-20

In yesterday's reading, after feeding five thousand men (and yet more women and children), Jesus withdrew again and went up to a mountaintop to pray. Before He did, He told His disciples to set sail for the other side of the Sea of Galilee. While they were rowing hard against blowing winds and waves, about three o'clock in the morning, He appeared to them walking on the water. The already frightened disciples believe they have seen a ghost! But Jesus says to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." Peter said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."Jesus told Him, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God." They arrived at Gennesaret, where all brought their sick to Him, trying even to simply touch the hem of His garment. All who did so were healed.

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." The religious leadership is speaking to Jesus about a specific tradition of ceremonial washing. My study bible points out that the tradition of the elders refers to interpretations of Mosaic Law by Jewish teachers. Here, the topic is ritual purity.

He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition." After return from Babylonian exile, for various important reasons, temple worship and ritual practices associated with tradition became highly systematized and emphasized. But here Christ focuses back in on the spirit of the Law, the word of God to Moses. Here, He quotes from the first of the Ten Commandments. Referring to a temple tradition, He cites the ability of people to devote possessions to the temple as a kind of gift or promise upon their deaths. Thereby, they could continue to use such possessions during their lifetimes. But for some, this mechanism is something we might compare to a "tax dodge" in our own times, but rather more serious. Elderly parents were dependent upon children; there was no other system of social welfare. Written into Mosaic Law is a constant theme of community, through right relationship. Jesus gives an example of those who simply do not want to truly share in relationship, thereby evading a commandment of community given through Moses as the word of God. In this way, the "tradition of men" is usurping the highest priority that should be given to the word of God.

"Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' " Here is a lesson for us all, for every day, for all of us in our churches and denominations. Where is the true understanding of God? Moreover, we develop traditions, interpretations, practices in the name of our religion. But are they always used to bring us to the right focus, on the word of God in our hearts? Let us remember, the subject began as one of ritual purity. Christ has emphasized the purity of the heart already, in the Beatitudes, when He taught: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Here, this teaching is perfectly expressed. In these verses, we get a picture of the consistency of the word of God, from Old Testament prophecy to the teachings of Jesus. In teaching about the purity of heart, we also recall His scathing words regarding hypocrisy in religious practice. Once more, the emphasis is on the heart.

When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Here is a good understanding for our present day, when all sorts of theories and practices are offered seemingly from one person to another in the name of Christ, or the name of God. We remember His parables, and how He taught that good and evil live side by side, especially in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares. Jesus now illuminates this teaching in practice, quite literally referring to planting. He seems to refer to the Judgment, and teaches us, "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Today, we must remember His words even more powerfully perhaps than ever.

Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us." So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." As in yesterday's reading, it is Peter who speaks out. What I love about Jesus' reply is His saltiness: "Are you also still without understanding?" For all the appropriate seriousness with which we take Scripture, we should never fail to see the kind of relationship He has with each of His disciples, the humor and chiding that are often involved in Jesus' human personality, and the love in all of it. But He's speaking of a very serious subject: What is purity? What does it mean to be pure in heart? Is it things we do which make us pure, or something different, deeper? This is the real question here, and the real issue at hand. What do we guard in our hearts? What do we hold dear? Again, Jesus is teaching us consistently with the Beatitudes. What do we love? "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Anything can be stored in the heart. It's up to us to decide what we treasure, what we hold dear: and those things make us who we are.

Today's reading is a little complex, although the subject is essential to us all. Notions of purity really depend upon perspective: is it in what we do, or does what we do reflect who we are within the heart? We start with the place in which relationship begins, in the heart. What do we love? What do we hold dear? Right relatedness is the subject behind today's reading: right relationship is violated by false religious practice, when we don't guard the heart for the things which make us "pure in heart." So, what is uncleanness in this sense? It is the blind leading the blind who fail to understand this basic principle about relationship -- which begins and centers on a relationship with God, God who is love, who is Logos, the source of all things we know as good, reasonable, helpful, meaningful. Or, do we guard the "crooked" things Jesus lists here, which all begin with a kind of a lie, a basic hypocrisy that begins in sheltering lies, conflicts, cruelties, false witness. Basically, they can boil down to a lack of passion for truth. Jesus has said of Himself, "I am the way and the truth." It is true in both an absolute and a personal sense; the two in this context of worship and meaning are inseparable. So what do you cherish? What do you love? Are you easily led by sophistry and blindness? A little cruelty here or there, a little bullying, a lie or two, a little false witness, malicious gossip? A desire for power or authority that supersedes right relationship? In Jesus' examples, the "commandments of men" seem to always imply a false gain, a little one-upmanship, some manipulation, a convenient way to seemingly get ahead, to put ourselves or our agendas forward, all for appearance's sake alone, while perhaps blaspheming the good - and avoiding the tough choices within ourselves. The possibilities are endless, but the answer is one. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Are we willing to let go of the things that interfere with that, wherever they are found in us and in our lives? Who or what comes first? How do we practice true discernment?

Whatever proceeds out of the mouth comes from the heart

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

'These people draw near to Me with their mouth,

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me,

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "

When he had called the multitude to himself, he said to them, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." Then his disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" But he answered and said, "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Then Peter answered and said to him, "Explain this parable to us." So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

- Matthew 15:1-20

In the past couple of readings, Jesus has manifested miracles that are of messianic status and import: he has fed the five thousand, and walked on water to his disciples. His apostles, in yesterday's reading, recognized him as "Son of God" for the first time. In today's reading, he begins to tangle with the scribes and Pharisees, engaging in confrontation over their hypocrisy.

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. My study bible has a note on the entire passage: "The tradition of the elders (v. 2) refers to the interpretations of the Mosaic Law by Jewish teachers, here regarding ritual purity. Jesus sharply refutes their views that ritual purity depends on what a person does or doesn't do. Rather, he points to the heart (v.8) as the source of evils which defile a person. We guard our hearts from evil to keep ourselves from error, to overcome unchastity, and to protect ourselves from any other sinful passion." To "guard our hearts" is to be aware of what is going on within ourselves, what choices we are making. This awareness is designed to keep us protected from falling into errors, going down roads we know are problematic to us.

He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. My study bible notes here: "The commandment to honor one's father and mother is the first of the Ten Commandments which deals with human relations. A work of service or devotion to God is of no value if in carrying it out one ignores personal responsibility to others. Right human relationships are a necessary element of Christian devotion." As always, Jesus' criticism is based on the difficulties encountered when laws, commands or traditions that are negated by other practice are those designed to help the poor, to maintain the social fabric of relations with those who are needy and would be destitute without help. In this case, elderly parents who must rely on children. The practice he criticizes is that which disobeys, in effect, the law through the imposition of a tradition that enriches the religious class - at the expense of the dependent parents, father and mother.

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' " See Isaiah 29:13 for the passage Jesus is quoting here. "Hypocrites" in its original meaning in Greek is "actor." Jesus is defining those who parody devotion, but their hearts are elsewhere.

"When he had called the multitude to himself, he said to them, "Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." As has been the case through the past several chapters of Matthew's gospel, Jesus calls the crowds together and preaches in parables before the multitude. As before, we get his explanation in private to his disciples in the next verses. We remember that "parable" can also mean "riddle" or "allegory" or "proverb."

Then his disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" But he answered and said, "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." Then Peter answered and said to him, "Explain this parable to us." The Pharisees understand Jesus' criticism. Repeatedly, they are portrayed as the religious experts (along with the scribes and other leadership in the temple) who know better. Jesus harshest criticism is reserved for those who have the capacity to grasp and know his teachings, and yet remain hypocrites for personal gain. The blind leaders of the blind, in this case, remain blind by their choices. In other parts of the gospels, we hear Jesus' criticism of those who choose their blindness. Here the emphasis is on their lack of credibility because "their hearts are far from God" (as in the quotation from Isaiah). Everything must be rooted in that reality as authentic spiritual teaching. This is a conflict of the reality of the heart, authenticity of spiritual grounding: from whence comes a Teacher's authority?

So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." We return again to themes of the heart, and what we practice and guard and keep within ourselves. The most important passage we reflect upon is the one from the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus taught that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." It is up to us to choose what we will love, what we keep in our hearts, and this defines who we are. That passage from the Sermon on the Mount came when Jesus taught about choosing between God and mammon. And here, the emphasis is similar. He is criticizing those who fail to worship with the heart, but only with the outward form, so that they may maintain the hypocrisy that gathers wealth to themselves. What we guard in our heart is our choice: all forms of vice - cruelty, avarice, envy, etc. and the myriad forms they take in our lives are those things we can either guard against or keep within our hearts. It is our choice. If we are blind then our awareness is dimmed, if we are awake to these spiritual choices, we keep our spiritual eyes and ears open, we guard our hearts against what we know is not good for us spiritually. But to eat with unwashed hands, to fail to follow form only, is not personally defiling. This is Jesus' greatest teaching on the power of the inner life, and one we must "take to heart." (See here and here for more commentary on this subject.) It is not the outside practice, but the inner life, the life of the heart, that is judged - after all, another name for our judge is the "knower of hearts."

How do you discern the reality of the heart? Where do you put your love, your passion in life? What do you guard against when it comes up for you? We are asked to practice awareness, to give conscious emphasis to the reality of what is within our center, to protect our hearts and to be aware of what it is that makes us who we are as human beings. Is it the outside, the image we cultivate before others? or is it something deeper, that dwells in the place where we decide that which we love and in which we participate? This is what defines us and places us where we belong in this method of discernment. To stay awake, to be spiritually aware is to have spiritual sight, and not to be a blind follower of the blind. Jesus teaches us also to "Watch!" when he warns his disciples of the time that he will be away, the time period we are in now, as we await his coming. Until that day of plain discernment and obvious choice, we are to remain awake, to watch and to understand that we not be deceived. We must do so in order not to deceive ourselves, as well.