Let us pray: Come Holy Spirit, be present in these words. Through them may we know ourselves, one another, and you, our loving God, better. In the name of the Lover, The Beloved, and Love itself. Amen.
Well, no more bread today! Instead, what we have are some pretty biting words from Jesus about traditions. When the Pharisees and some scribes notice Jesus’ disciple aren’t observing all the rules for cleansing, and purifying, especially around eating and food prep, they ask: “What gives Jesus? Your followers aren’t keeping the rules, they aren’t following the tradition of the elders, why not?”
I wonder, is this an honest question from them, or an attempt to discredit the upstart rabbi from Nazareth who’s rapidly gaining popularity? Based on Jesus’ strong reply, I expect their questions are more like accusations.
“Hey, why don’t your followers follow the rules? What kind of teacher are you?” Jesus calls them out.
“Oh, I see, you’re the ones the prophet Isaiah warned about! You hypocrites!” Ouch! “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” On the surface they are doing all the right things. Being very diligent in keeping all the traditions of the elders passed on through generations. But why? Are their hearts in it?
Jesus accuses them of abandoning God’s commandments and creating their own human traditions. Ouch again! BUT…I wonder if I’m guilty of the same thing. It’s sure easier to SAY the right things, to GO through the motions, to come to church on Sunday for an hour and then just go on our ways. Much easier to talk about love and justice and racial reconciliation and climate care, than actually DOING IT, right? Do we take refuge in our traditions, talking a good talk, putting our human traditions over what God is really asking us to do to bring about God’s dream for our world?
In our Epistle we heard James’ famous lines: “…Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.” He goes on to explain what pure religion is: to care for orphans and widows in their distress. To DO something to make our world a better place, whatever, wherever, however we can. To act in love. Love for others, love for the marginalized, the ostracized, the oppressed, those in need, even our enemies! Jesus is saying that we should stop worrying so much about traditions and observations and good words, and we should start DOING something to share God’s love! It’s not about being clean or defiled, or the right or wrong way to worship. What it’s all about is acting from our hearts with love. If we have our hearts set on doing God’s will, God’s good, and loving work for our world, then the question of clean and unclean is moot. We can’t get so wrapped up in just the right way to do this or that in terms of our spirituality. What Jesus tells and shows us, is that it’s all about how we see others and how we interact with them. Are we acting out of compassion? Are we proclaiming by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? Are we seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves? Are we striving for justice and peace? Are we respecting the dignity of every human being? This is pure religion.
How? Start small and go from there. Smile! Be kind! Welcome someone! Where does your heart ache? Is it for the unhoused, for the mentally ill, for those suffering from substance use disorder, for refugees, for immigrants, for the unemployed, for little ones who need stability, who need help to read, who need to know they are seen and loved, for our planet, for our rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans, or, or?
Listen to where God is calling you to act and then go and do your small part to make this world a better place. Show the world the love of God through your actions. Show them that we are Christians by our love, by our love. This is where we should focus our energy and resources. This is pure religion, following the words and examples of Jesus of Nazareth, acting in love and compassion for others. Amen.
