Health Priorities

Today’s Gospel Text: Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?" 6 And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' 8 You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men." 14 And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him."  For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man." Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Reflection:  Who does not know that unwashed hands are unhygienic and can lead to infections and other health complications?

We have been taught in school and our parents too have taught us and corrected us. You challenge a health professional and he will give us, if so desired, concrete evidence under a microscope, to prove their point of contamination and germs.

Yet in the gospel Jesus, goes all the way out to reprimand the Pharisees and scribes for trying to impose a view, which seems legitimate, on the disciples of Jesus. 

How could Jesus not correct the disciples instead, more so since the Old Testament itself teaches about the need for cleanliness, ritual purity and the avoidance of defilement?

Whatever the scientific evidences and concrete proof’s and researches, the reality of saving the soul is of far more importance than the momentary health and long life which one seeks to achieve.

Health is not a higher value than the Kingdom which Jesus wants to give to his beloved and hence we cannot compromise the Kingdom at the cost of ill-gained health or even legitimate health.

God is the giver of all health and he is greater than the health we seek, and his interest to save our souls for all eternity is far more relevant than the momentary health we seek in and through wrong means.

Yet we have Christians dabbling in various New Age practices which go against the sound doctrine of Christ, in order to gain health and longevity.  They will indulge superstitious practices, yoga, zen and vippassana and other non-Christian meditative techniques, pranic and other forms of cosmic energy healings, bio-ceramic and homeopathy, all at the risk of losing their soul.

For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? Mark 8:36-37

Let God be first in our lives and then seek the health, if he intends giving it to us. And as Catholics, do we not have the sacraments of healing, which we need to seek first?   

Prayer: Lord, May I always seek you first and the healing that comes through you and your most holy Sacraments.

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