This Sunday we will focus on the lectionary text from Mark 7, which covers the conversation between Jesus and some Pharisees and legal experts. Although it is easy to glance over this text and jump to a conclusion that Jesus is condemning the religious practices held by the Pharisees and legal experts, a closer look at Jesus’ response will help us understand that what he is mainly concerned with is the intention of their hearts.
We have different motives and intentions for doing what we do. The important question to ask ourselves is why are we doing what we are doing. The answer will give us a better understanding of the intentions of our hearts. As followers of Christ, we want to align our will with God’s will, which centers on goodness and the embodiment of God’s love for all.
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (CEB)
1 The Pharisees and some legal experts from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. 2 They saw some of his disciples eating food with unclean hands. (They were eating without first ritually purifying their hands through washing. 3 The Pharisees and all the Jews don’t eat without first washing their hands carefully. This is a way of observing the rules handed down by the elders. 4 Upon returning from the marketplace, they don’t eat without first immersing themselves. They observe many other rules that have been handed down, such as the washing of cups, jugs, pans, and sleeping mats.) 5 So the Pharisees and legal experts asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples not living according to the rules handed down by the elders but instead eat food with ritually unclean hands?”6 He replied, “Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you hypocrites. He wrote,
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away from me.
7 Their worship of me is empty
since they teach instructions that are human words.8 You ignore God’s commandment while holding on to rules created by humans and handed down to you.”
14 Then Jesus called the crowd again and said, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing outside of a person can enter and contaminate a person in God’s sight; rather, the things that come out of a person contaminate the person.”
21 “It’s from the inside, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come: sexual sins, thefts, murders, 22 adultery, greed, evil actions, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, insults, arrogance, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from the inside and contaminate a person in God’s sight.”
Consider these questions:
- According to Mark, why do the Pharisees and all the Jews (Mark’s assumption) wash their hands before they eat? Could there be deeper intentions than what is stated by Mark?
- Could what is observed by tradition become oppressive to others who do not abide by its rules or even belong to that tradition?
- Are there any traditions or practices in our church that we continue to do that may cause others to feel oppressed or excluded? If yes, how do we find new expressions to make them more loving and compassionate?