Sunday Sermon for September 1, 2024, the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Readings: Deut 4:1-2, 6-8; Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
In the Gospel reading today, the scribes and Pharisees confront Jesus because the disciples were eating without having first washed their hands and the elders had instructed. The wisdom of the elders is excellent and very practical. On the particular point of washing one’s hands prior to eating, most mothers to this day pass this wisdom on to their children because it is so reasonable and practical.
As good as it is, however, it is not the Word of God, nor is it equal to the Word of God. Our Lord responds to those who were confronting Him by quoting the Prophet Isaiah, saying that the people honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him because they teach human precepts as if they were divine doctrines. Our Lord does not stop with this, but goes on to say they disregard the commandments of God but cling to human tradition.
While it may be good and reasonable to maintain these teachings that are solid and helpful, it is neither good nor reasonable to ignore or set aside what God has revealed. This was a problem not only for the Jews of antiquity, but it continues to be a problem for many of us today. By this I am not meaning those who live pagan lives, but Jews and Christians alike seem to pick and choose what they want from revelation.
In this case, the wisdom of washing one’s hands before eating somehow morphed into be a matter that if you did not wash your hands it would cause one to be defiled spiritually. It is true that one might become physically ill from eating something that was tainted, but it does not cause one to be guilty of sin or to become ritually impure.
In the first reading Moses spoke to the people of Israel about the proper observance of the statutes and decrees that were given by God. By living according to these commandments, the people would exhibit their wisdom and intelligence to the nations because the Gentiles would be able to see how close the Lord was to His people. At the same time, Moses warned the people not to add to or subtract from what he was commanding.
In the case of making the washing of the hands something of a precept, the elders added to the Law of God. Today, the bigger problem is subtracting from God’s Law. We want to do what we want to do, and if it goes against God’s Law, then we will set God’s commandment aside in order to do what we have chosen. Rather than conforming ourselves to God, we seem to think He should conform Himself to us.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the people that nothing entering one from the outside will cause that person to become defiled. In this case, He is speaking of foods. There is much we bring in from the outside that can cause us to be defiled. Think of things such as looking at pornography, listening to calumny or gossip, drinking excessively or taking illegal drugs. Anything sinful that we take into ourselves will cause us to become defiled.
At the same time, St. James tells us in the second reading to humbly welcome the Word that has been planted in us, the Word that is able to save our souls. Clearly, the Word of God, which we have received, is able to purify us, make us holy, and ultimately, save us. Simply having the Word in us is not sufficient. St. James tells us we must be doers of the Word and not merely people who hear the Word of God.
Jesus tells us that what defiles us is what comes out from within. Therefore, we can look at our words and actions to give us some idea of where we stand spiritually. On the negative side, Jesus speaks of evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, and folly. Obviously, the list could have been a lot longer, but these make the point. Paying attention to what comes out of our mouths and how we act will gives us pretty clear insight into what we are holding dear in our hearts.
If we are holding fast to the Word of God and striving to live according to what the Lord has revealed, then we should be recognized for our charity in speech, for our selflessness, and for the goodness of our actions. God has planted these perfect gifts in us; they are the wisdom and intelligence of God. We must reject the wisdom of the world which leads us away from God and holiness, and live as the first fruits of God’s creation by remaining faithful to the divine Tradition in its fullness.
Fr. Altier’s column appears regularly in The Wanderer, a national Catholic weekly published in St. Paul, Minn. For information about subscribing to The Wanderer, please visit www.thewandererpress.com.
