Daily Reflection – 2/7/2024
Sacred Scripture
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 went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things. (Mark 7:1-13)
Reflection
In our scripture today, Jesus criticized a portion of his own community for paying God lip service, exalting human precepts, abandoning divine commandments. Like a beam of laser light, he cut through to the real issue: their hearts are far from God.
They were neglecting God directly and indirectly, and obsessing about the human precepts regarding ceremonial washing. Beyond it they were setting aside God’s commandments to uphold their human traditions and pretending that that was the worship Christ wanted.
The Pharisees loved their own traditions to a degree that blinded them to truth and hardened their hearts. They were unable to recognize and embrace Jesus in their midst.
They were setting aside God’s commandments to uphold their human traditions and pretending that that was the worship Christ wanted.
What about us today?
While we do not have Jesus Christ physically in our midst, we have His word, His sacraments, and His presence in many people who have turned their lives over to Him and, in many ways, personify His love.
They understand that Jesus revealed the whole purpose of God’s law . . . to protect and foster love for God and each other. It’s really that simple.
Yet, our world seems, at times, to spiral out of control.
But isn’t that to be expected?
Listen to the words that are spoken around us. Look at the polemics that have become common place. Think about how all the name calling, the self-proclaimed righteousness, the epithets, the derision, the disparagement of others.
We have allowed a coarseness of rhetoric to become common place. That coarseness of rhetoric has led to a coarseness of life. Instead of Jesus first, we see a philosophy emerging which says “my rights, my needs, my likes come before anything else and, if I can’t have that, then I will put myself above the love and find a way to have them. “
Going to church and carrying our bible are both good signs. But if we are not authentic Christians, no outward sign of piety can hide a hypocrite from the eyes of God.
We either live the great commands of God or we don’t. If we don’t then we fail the litmus test of being an authentic Christian.
To keep our hearts, close to Jesus, we must pray for the virtue of authenticity and frequently examine our attitudes for even the most subtle signs of interior division.
May each of us have the courage and fortitude to be authentic disciples of Christ in all aspects of our life.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, let the fire of your Holy Spirit cleanse my mind and my heart that I may love you purely and serve you worthily.”
Daily Note
If we listen to God’s word with faith and reverence, it will both enlighten our mind and purify our heart – thus enabling us to better understand how he wants us to love and obey him. The Lord invites us to draw near to him and to feast at his banquet table. Ask the Lord to cleanse and renew you with the purifying fire of his Holy Spirit.
