22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (“B”)
September 2, 2012

Q. 700: Why does Jesus not make his disciples follow the various rituals of daily life?

A. 700:
First we have to recognize that the word “heart” as used by Jesus in verse 21 in today’s gospel reading (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23) had a different meaning than what we are accustomed to understand by that word today. To the Hebrew, the heart was the center of thought. Today we would associate “thought” with the mind, not the heart. However, a close cousin today to the old Jewish usage would be something like “he has a good heart,” meaning that one’s character was reflected consistently in one’s actions, which stem from one’s thoughts. In other words, one’s moral disposition is displayed daily by how one lives.

Thus, in today’s gospel we read that the Pharisees and the scribes were upset that the disciples of Jesus did not ritually wash their hands before eating. This lack of washing did not violate the Mosaic Law, but did violate the “tradition of the elders,” the rule book that prescribed certain rituals for daily living. It was only oral law, the opinions of certain rabbinical leaders over the centuries, and Jesus rejected such additions to God’s written law.

So why did Jesus call them hypocrites (verse 6)? Well, a hypocrite is one who is living a life of pretense. In Jesus’ culture, if you just followed the rule book, you would be looked upon favorably. No one could tell what was really going on within your “heart,” i.e., your mind. Jesus is teaching that physical cleanliness is not the issue; it is spiritual cleanliness upon which one must focus. Sin flows from an impure heart, not dirty hands. If one is spiritually unclean while demanding that others follow a man-made rule book, then he is a hypocrite.

KNOW YOUR CATECHISM! It was with divine authority that Jesus disavowed certain human traditions of the Pharisees that were “making void the word of God” (Mark 7:13) (CCC 581). How about you: are your prayers and Mass attendance “routine,” or do they occur because you desire to have Jesus at the core of your being? (Core = Lat. cor = heart)

Deacon Paul Rooney
Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha

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