The tradition of the elders

Finally, after a month of talking about the Bread of Life Discourse, which teaches us the doctrine of the Holy Eucharist, we move on to a different scripture reading, this time it is about the Tradition of the Elders, which is found in the Bible in Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.

“1 When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around [Jesus], 2 they observe 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.’

8 You disregard God’s commandment 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.”

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This Gospel talks about the Jewish customs and traditions, many of which are taught in the “literal sense.” Call it a coincidence that just a few days ago, I bought the soundtrack album of that famous Broadway musical “The Fiddler on the Roof” from my iPhone’s iTunes. I used to have a vinyl record of this musical and I really don’t know why I downloaded it a few days ago. Perhaps so I can talk about it this musical in conjunction with our Gospel today because it’s Overture is entitled “Tradition.”

Here are a few words from the overture, “Who must know the way to make a proper home, A quiet home, a kosher home? Who must raise the family and run the home, so Papa’s free to read the Holy Books.” When Tevye asks, “How did this tradition start? He replied, I don’t know, but it’s a tradition.”

Kosher home? All the time I thought kosher is used only for food. No doubt, the Jews today still follow their sacred traditions… from kosher home to kosher food, which is the dietary rules of Judaism, which conform with Jewish Halakhic law. You can read this in Leviticus 11:1-47.

But our Lord Jesus Christ rejected this tradition, despite his being Jewish and told the Jewish Elders, “You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”

I don’t have to explain this further to our readers. We Filipinos can eat anything, from balut to pig’s brains, but they do not defile us. It is our bitter or envious hearts that defile when we speak ill of others. Remember the old saying, “Cleanliness is Godliness?” This is really true, that what we take inside our bodies or our homes do not defile. But what we throw away, like our garbage, defiles our environment. The recent flood of garbage that struck Manila Bay last month is best proof of this.

There is another Jewish custom called Bar Mitzvah, or the Jewish coming of age, where according to Jewish law, when Jewish boys reach the age of 13, they become accountable for their actions and become a man old enough to read and understand the Torah. Girls have their Bar Mitzvah at the age of 12 years old. Like in the time of our Lord Jesus, women and children were not given any rights. In the miracle of the Loaves and Fish, 5,000 people that were reported… but it did not include the women and children. So they could have been more than a thousand of them.

Our Lord Jesus chastised the Pharisees 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.’” Who was our Lord Jesus referring to? If you ask me, he is referring to those Catholics who profess their Catholic faith, but do not accept the teachings of the Catholic Church. This is why I’m glad that Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma warned Catholic schools that they should teach the Magisterium of the Catholic Church or they will no longer be considered a Catholic institution. I dare say… it’s about time someone cracks the whip!

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