Praise Jesus!
Did you have a good week?
Are you spending the tail end of the summer well?
Our outdoor activities are on the decrease as we the summer is nearing its end.
Rather than feeling anxious about the disappearing summer, I think it would be good to prepare ourselves for more internal activities.
I wish our Lord of love will bless our internal preparation.
In today’s gospel, an event takes place.
Jesus’ disciple ate without washing their hands.
Is this a big event? Or a small event?
Is it such a big deal if you ate food without washing hands?
Why would it matter if the food was not stolen or not even taken away from someone?
It’s because the tradition has been violated.
Jewish tradition mandates washing hands with a handful of water and body washing after visits to the market-place before eating food.
An uproar takes place.
The Pharisees and the scribes immediately questions Jesus’ apostles.
“Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” (Mark 7:5)
Jesus because they did not wash their hands before eating, they instantly became unclean lawless who did not follow their ancestors’ tradition.
We often see how heartless people destroy other people. When I encounter the actions by those with knowledge and power, it makes me feel sad and cautious.
In fact, we are not free from this matter.
We, ourselves, sometimes become the Pharisees and the scribes.
We hypocritically tell our kids to do what we say rather than do what we do.
We criticize and hurt others with insignificant things.
Especially for a small community like ours, poisonous gossips and rumors can be magnified.
The inferior inferior the superior but the inferior, becoming another superior, criticizes the most inferior.
When seeing this, Jesus points out the truth.
“This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mark 6:6)
Those whose hearts are not with God destroy others with their own external standards. They exude evil thoughts, greed, jealousy, slander and arrogance which contaminate people.
However, those who keep God in their heart, keep His words.
His Words are “all good giving and every perfect gift” (James 1:17).
“The word is able to save your souls” (James 1:21)
With and by that word, we keep ourselves from becoming secularized and help those in need.
I hope that the coming week will be a of blessed period during which we prepare internally ourselves well for the long winter, protect ourselves in God, and help others.
Let us meditate.
