Today’s Gospel teaches us about the old Jewish traditions, like ritual cleansing or purification, even the cleansing of pots and kettles, a Jewish tradition that is still being practiced today 2,000 years later; like eating only kosher food. This was the norm in Israel for a thousand years since the time of Moses and now, our Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah whom the Jews expected to come wanted to change these old practices, which he found hypocritical. You can read this Gospel story in Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.
“When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around [Jesus], 2 they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed hands. 3 (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. 4 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].
5 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?” 6 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; 7 In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’ You disregard God’s commandments but cling to human tradition.”
14 He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” [He said to his disciples,] 21 From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. 23 All these evils come from within and they defile.”
Most of us who are lucky to have tap or running water do practice the washing of our hands before we eat. Why? Because this was taught to us when we were children and naturally good parents and grandparents also teach their young this practice, which has been done by families for generations. It is a good tradition, which was also practiced by the Jews during the time of Jesus!
So when the Pharisees and Scribes asked our Lord Jesus, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” Jesus replied saying, “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; 7 In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’ You disregard God’s commandments but cling to human tradition.” So you might ask, “Is it bad to cling to tradition?”
What our Lord is telling the Jews is if you merely wash your hands before you eat because it has become part of your daily life, unconsciously you are only washing your hands without cleaning it. It’s almost like going to church every Sunday, as it has become a practice or a family tradition done by our grandparents and their parents before them. You may be inside the church, but your mind isn’t there. You are merely following tradition so no one can say that you’re not a good Catholic. But is this the way to honor God?
But our Lord Jesus already knew that the Pharisees and Scribes questioned the disciples of Jesus, not to make them closer to God, but to follow the tradition laid our by the temple leaders. So Jesus pointed to them and said, “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; 7 In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’ You disregard God’s commandments but cling to human tradition.”
In last Wednesday’s Gospel reading in Matt.23:27-28 “Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.”
What our Lord is telling us is, we should be hypocrites! Today, women make their bodies more beautiful by going to the beauty parlor or spa and even use whitening products. Men go to the gym to make them look physically strong and make them more attractive to women. But what about their souls? They are the people who truly look like a beautiful and clean tomb or grave, nice to visit, but inside this grave is a decomposed corpse! Indeed, nothing taken inside can defile. What defiles comes from within the hearts of men and women and you should know, God looks at your hearts, not the way you dress or look outwards!