Today’s Gospel: 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." Mark 7:1-13
Reflection: In
school and at home we were always taught to eat with clean hands, lest we fall
sick. The advertising world too soaks us with many fears concerning sickness
and diseases as being passed on by germs and viruses.
The
modern world after its discovery of germs, bacteria and viruses and their co
relationship with diseases and sicknesses has changed the religious angle of
looking at defilement. The world now looks at things from a scientific perspective,
based on verifiable facts. The religious
injunction is now replaced with a scientific mindset. The modern man thus lives in his many fears
and all this because he cannot easily believe what is not seen, he is trained
to believe what he immediately sees. He
further sees it all through the miracles of modern medicines like the antibacterial,
anti-viral, anti-fungal and bactericidal.
Jesus’
teaching is relevant and far superior, meant for both kinds; those who hold the
religious and those who hold on to the scientific views.
The
root cause of our sicknesses is our internal defilement brought about by our
refusal to follow God’s law. Therefore
in the weakness of this deformity humans have to follow an external code of
cleanliness, lest they fall prey to sickness easily. But if a person strictly
goes by God’s word with faith and trust in the person of Jesus then he has fewer
chances of falling sick with such exposures. Church history and spiritual
testimonies of the many are replete with such example of triumph.
Prayer: Father,
increase my faith in you, so that I may fear you only and live, even unto
eternity.
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