Reflection for 1st September 2024
The Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity
Deuteronomy 4.1–2, 6–9, James 1.17–27, Mark 7.1–8, 14, 15, 21–23
In the Gospel of Mark 7, we hear people speaking without love, but with condemnation. The Pharisees and legal experts address Jesus with a message aimed at ensuring compliance with their society's laws, rather than offering assistance. As Jews, they wanted to remain separate from the pagan influx surrounding them. Keeping their laws and traditions caused them to remain distinct from everyone else. They had in fact become a holy huddle, a club if you will, with an exclusive membership, keeping the church only for themselves.
Jesus challenged the Pharisees and legal experts, saying that by teaching human customs rather than divine revelation, they had become false teachers of God's truth and law. Their teaching had become hollow, a fake facsimile of the real truth of God, concentrating on outward appearances such as physical things that went into the body rather than the words that came from their hearts. Jesus is not playing fast and loose with the Torah's laws, but showing how the laws should point to God and His kingdom. The Pharisees' hidden political agenda did not intend for the laws to be worshipped or used to control people. The Pharisees' question to Jesus reveals their fear of losing their wealthy political status. The Pharisees had, in fact, defiled themselves by teaching the law in this way, as their words did not speak of God's life-giving love. Even worse, their desire to maintain a holy huddle, a private club, prevented them from considering sharing their message with the gentiles. In fact, their rules had made it impossible for any gentile to join the faith in God. The Pharisees and legal experts had forgotten that God loved them and that their focus should be on Him, their beloved, not on what they could gain from their social status. In other words, Jesus reminded them that the source of their relationship with God is from the heart, not outwardly appearing to adhere to the laws. From the heart, true worship emerges, and following the laws naturally flows. This speaks of being in true relationship with God by responding to His love in an authentic and self-giving way, free from hypocrisy and the superficiality of holding onto outward appearances.
James, the brother of Jesus, also speaks of living the Christian life without hypocrisy and with right behaviour. In verse 22, he urges his listeners to “not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” God's word is not just a source of nourishment for the soul, nor merely a topic for contemplation; it is alive, and its vitality should motivate us to take action. James goes on to explain the benefit of obedience: “But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
When we read and hear the Bible, do we realise we can measure the effectiveness of our study time by the effect it has on our behaviour, attitudes, and relationship with God? Do we allow ourselves to be convicted by God’s word and take time to put into action each day what we have learned? This is not to flaunt our sanctity, as the Pharisees did, but because God calls us to share His love with everyone. Can we understand that our lives serve as a tangible demonstration of Christ’s love for His people, His church? How will you respond this week in obedience to God’s call to speak with love to all you meet, build up the church, and take part in growing the Kingdom of God?
Blessings and prayers,
Emma