Gospel
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
When the Pharisees with some
scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. —For the Pharisees and, in fact,
all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are
many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds. —So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, "Why do your disciples not
follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?" He responded, "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but
their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God's commandment but cling to
human tradition." He summoned the ecrowd again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come
out from within are what defile. "From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy,
arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile."
Sermon
My brothers and sisters in Christ, today's Gospel passage presents us with a powerful teaching from Jesus about the nature of true defilement. The Pharisees and scribes were concerned with outward appearances, criticizing Jesus' disciples for not following the tradition of washing their hands before eating. But Jesus turns the tables, pointing out that it's not what enters from outside that defiles us, but rather what comes from within.
Jesus quotes Isaiah, saying that the Pharisees honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. They prioritize human tradition over God's commandment, revealing a disconnect between their outward actions and their inner motivations.
Jesus then teaches the crowd that true defilement comes from within, from the heart. He lists various evils that originate from within, including evil thoughts, greed, malice, and arrogance. These are the things that truly defile us, not unwashed hands or unclean food.
This passage challenges us to examine our own hearts and motivations. Are we more concerned with outward appearances or inner purity? Are we prioritizing God's commandments or human traditions?
May we heed Jesus' warning and focus on cultivating inner purity, recognizing that true defilement comes from within. May we seek to root out the evils that lurk in our hearts, and instead, may we be filled with love, compassion, and kindness.
Prayer
Let us pray: + In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Almighty, merciful and loving God, we come before you, reflecting on the teaching of Jesus about true defilement. Help us to recognize that it's not what enters from outside that defiles us, but rather what comes from within.
Forgive us for prioritizing outward appearances over inner purity, and for following human traditions over your commandments.
Help us to examine our own hearts and motivations, and to root out the evils that lurk within. Replace our evil thoughts with love, our greed with generosity, our malice with kindness, and our arrogance with humility.
May we honor you with our lips and our hearts, and may our outward actions reflect the purity of our inner motivations.
Give us the courage to challenge the status quo and to stand up for what is right, even when it's difficult.
May we be filled with your love, compassion, and kindness, and may we reflect your light to a world in need.
In Jesus' most holy name we pray, Amen.
Peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you,
Rev. Fr. Jhimerson Maneclang,SCJ