A
Heart to Love Thee
Mk
7: 1- 8, 14 – 15, 21 – 23
22nd
Sunday in Ordinary Time
Introduction
The reading today tells us how some Pharisees and scribes
noticed how Jesus’ disciples failed to follow some traditions
regarding ritual cleanliness. This included the washing of hands, plates and
cups among other things. Jesus rebukes them, saying that the failure to observe
such rituals was not the source of man’s uncleanliness.
The
Gospel
Our Gospel today speaks of how some of Jesus’ detractors,
particularly the Pharisees and some
scribes noticed how Jesus’ disciples failed to follow some traditions regarding ritual cleanliness. They were referring particularly to those rituals
that were to be observed before eating meals such as the washing of hands. They
saw how the disciples ate a meal with unclean hands.
The Jews were particular about the observance of these
rituals. The gospel speaks of how observant the Jews were and speaks of this
meticulous adherence to the law: “ 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.”
We must understand that washing our hands before a meal is
for us, nowadays, a matter of proper hygiene. In Jesus’ time, it was more than
a matter of proper hygiene. In Jesus’ time, cleanliness was very much
associated with God himself and his holiness. Uncleanliness, on the other hand
was associated with what was ungodly, unholy and defiled. In fact, one can be
considered unclean and defiled simply by touching anything that was thought to
be unclean. One can also be unclean simply by associating oneself with people who were considered unclean,
such as lepers.
The disciples who were seen
eating a meal without washing their hands certainly were considered unclean; in
doing so they were looked upon as defiled and unworthy.
But Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and scribes, saying: “ Well
did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites.” Then Jesus quotes Isaiah, saying: “
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.”
Jesus then declares: “ Nothing that enters one from outside
can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what
defile. Jesus then enumerates all sorts of sins to elaborate his point: “From
within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft,
murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy blasphemy,
arrogance, folly. “
Reflection
Jesus tells us that it is not what
is external that makes us unclean. It is what
is in our heart that makes us unclean. The Pharisees and scribes believed that by eating with unclean hands, one becomes defiled and unclean.
Jesus instead says that it is really what is in the depths
of the human heart which makes one unclean.
The human heart is inclined and capable of harboring and
desiring all sorts of sins such as those
mentioned by Jesus. For Jesus, what defiles one is the evil that one keeps
inside one’s heart.
Jesus knows the human heart too
well. He knows its secrets. He alone knows what it keeps inside. He knows its inclinations. He knows that our
hearts have been so much wounded and weakened and that making a choice that is
good and selfless becomes a daily struggle for most of us.
Jesus knows that our hearts are divided. Even in loving
God, we fail too often to love God with an undivided heart; hence our
inclination to what is sinful.
Our reading exposes the reality of the human heart’s inner
recesses and what it is capable of. It exposes the inclinations of the human
heart in a way that Jesus alone can do. Jesus knows us through and through; he
knows our weaknesses, our failures, our motives and intentions; he even knows how
well we can deceive ourselves into believing that we can do no wrong.
Let us ask Jesus to transform our heart and ask him to create
in us a pure heart; a heart that is inclined to his will.
Give us a heart to love Thee O Lord above everything else.
Amen.
“ Create in me a
clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. “
- Psalm 51: 10
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