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.

 

 

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you

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

On Saturday, we read that, immediately after feeding five thousand in the wilderness, Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "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."  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

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.'"  The tradition of the elders refers to the interpretations of the Law by Jewish teachers.   In today's passage, Jesus refutes their views about ritual purity and its dependence upon outward actions.  He will emphasis the state of the heart (further down, in verse 8) instead.  Here Jesus shows that the commandment of God can't be superseded by religious traditions of man.  He cites the practice of dedicating one's wealth to be given posthumously to the temple while one is still living, and then using that dedication as excuse for refusing to help elderly parents in need.  The devotion to God, my study bible tells us, includes both obedience to God's commandments and also service to others.  These two things cannot be separated (see also James 2:14-18; 1 John 4:7-21).  Jesus uses Scripture to condemn the hypocrisy of such practices, quoting from Isaiah 29:13.

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."  We recall that the passage began with the Pharisees' criticism of Jesus disciples, that they do not follow ritual washing practices.  Here, Jesus emphasizes the heart as the center of the person, and it is there that purity must be practiced in obedience and dedication to God.  He condemns the leadership, with their emphasis on outward practice -- which He says will only cause their followers also to stumble.

What constitutes hypocrisy?  Hypocrisy is a form of impurity.  That is, in the typical language of the Scriptures, to be of mixed motivation.  Hypocrisy comes from the word hypocrite, which in ancient times, meant "actor."   The word literally means "beneath the mask," as actors in the ancient Greek plays all wore masks to delineate the character they were playing.  Thus, a seemingly pious action can mask internal motives contrary to the good.  Jesus gives the example of the practice of dedicating wealth to the temple one may continue to use during one's lifetime, and the refusal to help dependent elderly parents, going against a commandment of God.  The example here is not about commandments per se -- it's about the traditions built up around the Law, that have the effect of circumventing the purposes of the Law.  Jesus, on the other hand, emphasizes the state of the heart, the internal reality of a person.  In Scriptural language, the heart is the center of being.  It includes the soul and all things that make up who we are as persons: intelligence, emotions, consciousness altogether, what makes us eat, breathe, and sleep, and defines our entire outlook on life.  Jesus cites examples of what also comes from the heart and may be nurtured there:  "evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."  One may conform outwardly to traditions that seem good, and yet continue to harbor and cultivate these things in the heart.  It is the state of the heart, Jesus tells us, that truly determines the good or ill that we do.   As a result, Christian monastic tradition has always emphasized the need for the internal work of asceticism, the awareness of ourselves and the state of the heart.  It's also important to guard the heart against these things.  The state of the soul depends upon what we feed it.   Ascetic practice, therefore, has as its purpose the cultivation of purity of heart -- for this is what truly leads to righteousness, a relationship to all of Creation which is "God-like."  If God is love, then our devotion to God is in order to cultivate in us a likeness to the virtue of our Creator.  Our faith is actually quite a psychological faith, one that from the beginning emphasizes an awareness of our own internal condition.  Modern science teaches us that the condition of the brain quite literally depends upon social interaction.  But in the psychological model that comes from our faith, what we might call "neuroplasticity" (to borrow a modern word from science) applies to the heart and soul, and is dependent upon relationships not only with all of creation around us, but also with Creator.  We have (in the traditional ascetic and theological language of the Church) a "synergy" with Creator.  Who we are categorically depends not only upon our own choices and actions, but also most deeply on a cooperative relationship with grace at work in us.  That "the kingdom of heaven is within you" is a statement about the internal work of cooperation implied here.  Selfishness is the act of refusal of this grace, thus affecting all ways one relates to creation and to self.  In effect, hypocrisy becomes a way of life when only outward effect is considered, and not the state of the heart.  We live in a world that exceptionally values image and appearance, particularly in a media-saturated life.  We might live in a period where actions that become signifiers of moral character and identity -- a modern version of the "commandments of men" -- are as intensively emphasized as ever, and perhaps more so.  It is simple to convey one is on the "right side" with a touch of a donation button in social media, or one's expressed moral indignation at those who don't conform to a preferred image, regardless of the scale or issue involved.   The language used in social media is more scathing that than of the Pharisees when it comes to condemnation of others.  Judgment of others has become frequent and extreme.  With revelations of abusive personal and private behavior coming by the minute among those who are very careful to cultivate public image, our technology only heightens the capacity for hypocrisy.  Thus, Jesus' words about the heart become even more important, and perhaps more urgent as care for a modern world.   His love and faith -- a devotion to the praise of God rather than the praise of men as our highest moral calling -- remain the model and antidote for what ails us.

Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man

 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

On Saturday, we read that Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away who had been fed from five loaves and two fish.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "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."  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

 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 tradition of the elders refers to interpretations of the Law by Jewish teachers.  My study bible tells us that Jesus refutes their views that ritual purity depends on outward actions.  Rather, His emphasis is on the state of the heart as that which determines a person's 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."  So here is the thing that outweighs all else:  commandments of God  can't be superseded by religious traditions (in this case, traditions built up around the Law).  My study bible tells us that devotion to God includes obedience to His commandments and service to others -- one can't be separated from the other.   Here in particular, Jesus names two commands from Scripture regarding honoring parents (see Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Exodus 21:17).   But the tradition indicated that wealth could be consigned as gift to the temple, while still in use by the living owner.  However, it meant it could not be transferred to others such as elderly parents.

"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.'"  Again, Jesus quotes from Scripture (Isaiah 29:13).  This time, Isaiah captures Jesus' expression of the difference between loving God with the heart and traditions that come down far away from the word of God.  It's important that we see this thought already expressed in the existing spiritual literature, in which these men are supposed to be experts.  But these men hardly expected these words to be directed at them.  Christ has the authority to do so.  In a Christian context, the Son as Lord and Word is the giver of the Scripture.

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."  Peter requests an explanation of the parable:  Jesus' saying about plants which will be uprooted if they haven't been planted by the Father.  The emphasis is once again on the word of God versus the traditions of men.  Jesus isn't condemning religious tradition.   Rather He's condemning that which effectively contradicts and obscures the word of God.  Too much emphasis on the external distracts from the truth:  that where we are pure is in our love of God and of neighbor, what we love in our heart and seek to grow into through a life of devotion and faith.  Too much emphasis on the external is a temptation to do away with that which is most important, essential.  In the case of the Pharisees who criticize both Jesus and John the Baptist, such an imbalance has led to their condemnation of great works of the Spirit, revelations of God.  Jesus elaborates the "dirt" or corruption which may hide in the heart where only the external is emphasized.

If we look closely at Jesus' words about what defile a person, we get some good hints about His repeated teachings in His ministry.  He tells Peter, "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 have had repeated encounters, in Jesus' ministry, with teachings about the importance of our words (see for example here, here, and here).  In today's reading, He gives us a very clear indication that the words that come out of our mouths reflect the things of the heart -- and as such reveal what defiles:  "evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."  Watching our speech can be a real clue as to the things that we need to deal with which are within ourselves!  Jesus' emphasis on purity is clearly on the state of our internal lives, as reflected by what comes out of the mouth, and the spiritual fruits we bear in the world.  It's kind of an amazing psychological insight, as He is the Word -- and He connects the words we use in encountering others to the state of our being and relationship to God (including the kinds of sin He names here) and the state of our relationships in the world, with community.  In this angle, words indicate a kind of union between spirit, soul, body -- and God and community.  They link all together, and they have the power to reveal a break within every aspect of self and relationships.  This is a very powerful spiritual and psychological revelation for us, and I wonder nowadays how much we take this seriously.  All one has to do is look around at the state of the world and what is reflected in the media, over the internet, in popular culture via media of all kinds including entertainment, politics, and all forms of public speech.  We know very well that abuse of the type Jesus describes in calling a "brother" a name (Matthew 5:22) is something we see as bullying in certain contexts, as domestic abuse, or child abuse.  Jesus teaches it as being akin to a violation of the law against murder, and if we think about how words can have lasting destructive effects on both persons and relationships, He's quite right and leaves us with an early understanding of the power of psychology and its effects on everything else we experience and produce.  He speaks of how carefully we must choose our words when teaching against swearing oaths ("Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No,' 'No'" - see Matthew 5:33-37) and we can see the effects of such speech in everything from political sloganeering, to false promises, to persuasive speech that stirs crowds to all sorts of actions.  That would include things Jesus names here such as false witnessing, adultery and other types of betrayal (as well as facile "intimate" relationships), even thefts in concealed clauses or duplicitous words, blasphemy, and murder in many forms such as through policies that slip under the radar concealed in phony intentions and bad social policies.  And do we have to mention movements couched in words of religion that are excuses for murder, slavery, genocide?  If we but look around, we can see all kinds of ill effects and evils manifest in the world through the ways in which we use words, revealing the ills of the heart, the things that break societies and communities, those things that indicate a false "bottom" in our relationship to God and conceal even from ourselves the reality of the heart.  Here's the great foundation of faith, its underpinning of spiritual and psychological reality, its depth in the trueness of relationship to God in the heart first and by extension to others.  This purity is the definition of integrity and wholeness.  And Jesus gives us this, whether we want to realize it or not.  It all starts in the heart, that great spiritual summing up of what it is to have depth of center, the place where we make or break all else, from which we take true identity and that produces whatever it is we are going to produce.  Let us pay attention!

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 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 disciples' boat was in the middle of the sea; and Jesus was alone on the land, where He had stayed 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 such things you do."   My study bible carefully tells us that the real issue here isn't at all the observation of Jewish customs or traditions -- which Jesus does not prohibit (see Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23).  At issue, rather, is putting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God.  My study bible says that the tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law, "which for the Pharisees and scribes was as authoritative as the Law and often superseded it."  Corban were a type of offering that could be promised to God in a way that property or earnings could still be used by oneself, but not for anybody else, including parents.  That would be, thereby, a secondary tradition which, in effect, obscures the primary aim of the Law, 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 simply puts it:  "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."

There's a kind of thread here going through the gospel that we have to take notice of.  It's related to the last note quoted from my study bible:  that what is created by God is pure, and what's evil isn't from God and so is impure, defiling a person.  It's tied to the notion that the things created by God are meant to contain God's glory, reflect God's truth and beauty and power.  It's related to the concept that people simply wanted to touch Jesus and were healed by His power, even from touching the hem of His clothing.  It's linked to the idea of anointing with oil in order to heal, as natural things can be imbued with the grace of God, just as human beings can.  In that context, what we have to see is that the point of view of the gospel is that what is evil is not natural.  We may think of all kinds of petty, selfish, "evil" behavior as natural to human beings, but that's not the point of view of Scripture.  In Scripture, this "unnatural" evil is our fallen state, not our true "natural" state.  Our true natural state is that which Jesus comes to give us, to heal us toward, to restore us to.  Our natural state is in communion with God, just as it is natural that all the things created by God should be endowed with God's glory, meant for grace.  When we seek to do things that block the action of grace in ourselves, it's not really something natural, but unnatural.  I wonder how we can get further into this way of thinking.  Perhaps we can take a look at the trouble stirred up by things we know are evil:  lying, malice, manipulation, slander, scapegoating.  We could use Jesus' examples of the things that come out of the heart that really defile a person:  evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.   All of this is to point out that what's "unnatural" in this sense is a lot of trouble, causes so much difficulty and pain, isn't really natural to us at all.  These things are in some way learned and used by those who feel they get something by cheating at life, one way and another, and cheating others.  We need God's help for working through such problems, for being really and truly healed.  But let's take a careful look at who we are and what we're made for, and what healing really and truly looks like, at least in the perspective of Christ.

There is nothing that enters a man from the 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 to 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 the 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 feeding the multitude of 5,000 men (and more women and children) in the wilderness, and having sent His disciples back across the  Sea of Galilee, when evening came, the boat 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?"  My study bible has extensive notes on today's reading.  Of this passage, it tells us:  "The issue here is not Jewish customs or traditions.  Jesus does not prohibit them (Matt. 23:23).  At issue is the raising of human tradition over the tradition or commandments of God.  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law handed down orally, which for the Pharisees and the scribes is as authoritative as the written Law of Moses.  According to this tradition, purification -- cleansing oneself from defiling contact with Gentiles or sinners -- occurs by the outward act of ceremonial washing."

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."   Here is a kind of nugget of faith:  Where is our faith?  Is it in the heart, where we can perceive the things of God?  Or is it in the "traditions of men" that may obscure those given things, the word that opens our eyes to life beyond this world, and to the grace and love of God?  At issue here is the conflict, when one obscures the other.

He said to them, "All to 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."  This is an example provided by Jesus of one thing (traditions) obscuring the other (the Law given or revealed to Moses).  We understand the essential goodness of respect for valuable relationships, the sense behind the commandment.  In our modern world, we may not all understand the complete dependency elderly parents have on adult children in such a society.  My study bible continues here on the tradition of the elders:  "Offerings to God may be made by promises.  Thereby one could dedicate property or earnings to God (Corban) to prevent their use by one's parents, but continue to use them oneself.  These secondary traditions obscure the primary commandments of God and obedience to them.  Traditions not from God must never supersede traditions from God or Holy Tradition (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6).  Unlike Holy Tradition, human traditions can prevent people from coming to God (Rom. 2:24, Col. 2:8)."

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 the 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!"   Here, Jesus speaks to the crowds who gather to hear Him speak.  Jesus has a different word for every audience.  We've first listened to a dialogue with the Pharisees who criticize His disciples.  Here, similarly to the audience for parables, He speaks to the crowds around Himself.  The crowd is invited to think about His sayings He presents to them, in the same way it is invited to think about the parables.  My study bible notes:  "Jesus teaches that nothing is of itself spiritually unclean.  God makes all things good.  Sins committed of our own free will, what comes from within us, defile and make the heart impure."

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 here, "All these evil things are not what God created.  We will them; we produce them; they are our sins coming from within us.  They are a perversion of what God has made."    As with the parables, Jesus explains privately to the disciples, who also need further illumination of His teachings of mysteries.

In all ways, Jesus seems to emphasize personal accountability, and it's an accountability before God, before the things of God.  The religious leadership is especially criticized because they are the ones who are supposed to lead the people to God.  But they have traditions (which also happen to enrich their group or class) that obscure the things of God, as my study bible puts it.  Whereas God's law given to Moses sought to emphasize the importance of relationships, here Jesus points out that particularly in the case of elderly parents, there are traditions that enrich the religious institution but leave parents with nothing.  They enforce selfishness rather than the intentions of the Law.  The same is true of His teaching on the things that truly defile a person.  We can say, in a very modern context, "I've been on this diet or that," or "I watch what I eat" and satisfy ourselves that we're good people, responsible and doing the right things somehow.  But the things of the heart, if obscured by this adherence to the outward things, may remain untouched.  Accountability would have us look deeper, to the things that Jesus names:  "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."  These are all things we can choose to be accountable for.  Which ones of them do we nurture without thinking?  We may refrain from certain foods, even fasting religiously in an impressive way, but if we let our satisfaction with such an outward show obscure the inner work of fasting from the things named by Jesus, and instead feed inwardly on those things, are we following His commandments?  Where is our true accountability?  I think it's important to remember that it's human weakness to let the outward obscure the real inward job here that Jesus emphasizes for us.  At the root of all things, Jesus consistently emphasizes the heart and the condition of the heart.  It's with the heart that we perceive the things of God, and it's with the heart that our spiritual eyes and ears function clearly and sharply.  Too much emphasis on what's outside -- and especially how we appear before others (especially whoever we consider to be in our "group") can lead us down the wrong path, and away from the things God would emphasize, the things that make for true relationship and discernment.  Even worse, those who are to lead others to God may in fact lead them astray with this false emphasis that neglects the more important matters.  It really doesn't matter whether or not we are talking about the society Jesus lived in 2,000 years ago, or today's world, this teaching is always new.  It always invites us to examine what we are doing and how we are living, what we put an emphasis on, and whether or not we really look to the heart, the place that God dwells in us, and we are making a home that is clean and open for that Word.  Let's not let the outward emphasis, filled as we are with images today with which we must keep up, obscure the place where God calls us to honor the least of these, the ones whose eyes don't necessarily count as much as the ones who assure us of our social status, our wealth, our position.  Accountability before God teaches us about the laws of truth and love and righteousness.  In any circumstance, we may be invited in to such a struggle, or obscured from that place where the struggle is engaged. 

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

In yesterday's reading, we read first that Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, in the evening after the miraculous feeding of five thousand men. He sent the apostles on their own, across the Sea of Galilee. A fierce wind came up and they struggled, rowing against the wind. He saw their struggle. About three o'clock in the morning, the disciples saw Jesus, walking on the water -- as if to pass them by! They were deeply frightened (they supposed it was a ghost), but Jesus called out to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I, do not be afraid." When He got into the boat, the wind ceased and everything was calm. The apostles marveled; they hadn't understood about the loaves, "because their heart was hardened." Later, on the other side of the Lake (the Sea of Galilee), they anchored at the region of Gennesaret, a Gentile territory. 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. Mark's Gospel has repeatedly emphasized Jesus' growing fame. Here Pharisees and scribes come together to Him, from Jerusalem -- an emphasis on the growing power of His ministry. Everyone is taking notice, from Herod to the Gentiles to the leadership in 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. The emphasis here is on human tradition. The issue is not Jewish customs or traditions; Jesus isn't prohibiting them. As my study bible puts it -- the problem here is "the raising of human tradition over the commandments of God. The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law handed down orally, which for the Pharisees and scribes is as authoritative as the written Law of Moses. According to this tradition, purification -- cleansing oneself from defiling contact with Gentiles or sinners -- occurs by the outward act of ceremonial washing." One thing we can clearly gather from the text: the disciples are not following this particular tradition, just as Jesus has not followed tradition in healing many by touch, including lepers and women, and has clashed already over the understanding of the Sabbath rule, and dining with sinners.

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." I think we should carefully note the emphasis in my study bible. Jesus isn't condemning tradition per se -- what he's doing is noting the hypocrisy with which these human traditions are being used to override the commandments and emphasis of God in the true tradition of Moses. These Pharisees and scribes may well pick out small infractions by others of ceremonial rules, while they neglect the true love of God in their own practice of faith. Old Testament Scripture records over and over again the power of the true love of God: You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise - Psalm 51:16-17.

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." Here is another example of tradition that contradicts and interferes with the intentions of God in the commandments. One could lay aside a material gift to God: dedicate property or earnings. This would have the effect of preventing their use by one's parents, but would allow the owner to continue using these things themselves. This is what Corban means -- a promise of this type. The problem comes when such secondary traditions obscure the promises of God, the true intent of what we understand in faith through the Spirit, what has been given or revealed by 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!" Jesus puts an emphasis back on the heart, as He does so often in His teaching. We recall again words from Psalm 51 (which is so often thought of as the Lenten psalm): "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."

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?" My study bible has a succinct note: "Jesus teaches that nothing is of itself spiritually unclean." The power in this statement can't be underestimated, though. It is teaching the basic worthiness of all of creation. But Jesus' emphasis is elsewhere, as we will read.

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." What defiles us are the things that we choose to love and embrace in our hearts, what we nurture of ourselves and in ourselves. All of these things -- and especially our own choice to nurture and cultivate them within ourselves -- can be compared to idolatry. My study bible says, "All these evil things are not what God created. We will them; we produce them; they are our sins coming from within us. They are a perversion of what God has made." We can contrast Jesus' statement here with the fruit of the Spirit as stated by St. Paul in Galatians 5: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

I wouldn't want to overemphasize the idea that somehow, in order to be a good Christian, we must be in an absolute state of spiritual perfection; this would be a misunderstanding of Jesus' teaching on healing and redemption. Nor would I want to put a great emphasis on salvation being by our own efforts alone. But I do think that too often, we fail to understand what Jesus is teaching here. He's first of all teaching against hypocrisy: the outward human tradition as a substitute for an emphasis on the true love of God. But He's also tying in the change that takes place in us through the love of God, and too often, I feel, I see this underemphasized. Where does the love of God lead us? How does it lead us to change? St. Paul gives us right there the fruit of the Spirit, that which works in us to change and transform, to "change our minds" (the meaning of the Greek word for repentance). And Jesus' emphasis on the things that come from within ourselves also indicates that we work hand in hand with Spirit. In other words, we choose what we love. I frequently like to quote from Revelation 3:20 -- Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Christ may do the knocking, the healing, and come in to live with us and dine with us, just as He did with His disciples. But we have to open the door. And there is where discernment begins, and we make a choice what we are going to love, to worship, to let into the heart. In this context, I believe, Christ's teaching here becomes all the more powerful and meaningful. And it's an ongoing spiritual practice and repentance, a salvation process that lasts our whole lives long. Are you ready? This is God's work. The "traditions of men" (old and new) can't take away the real work of faith, its promises, nor its Way -- the need to open the door and let the Spirit do its transforming work with our cooperative "yes." Too often, I find, we substitute all kinds of practices for this very real work of faith, and it shows. Across the whole spectrum of Christian faith, this teaching is as relevant and necessary as ever. When we forget it, we lose our way.