Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
The Healer of Hearts by Rev. Jack Peterson
Reprinted by permission of "The Arlington
Catholic Herald"
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Mark wrote to explain Christ
to the new Gentile converts.
When
the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around
Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean,
that is, unwashed, hands. - For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat
without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders.
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. - 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?" 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; in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You
disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition." He summoned the
crowd again and said to then, "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.
"From
within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance,
folly. All these evils come from within and they defile."
Two
weeks ago, I made an appointment to visit my doctor in September. It has been a
couple of years since I have had a physical exam. For a few reasons, I put it
off for too long. I think that it is really important to go to the doctor so
that they can assess our health, keep an eye on potential or real health
problems and give us a plan for becoming more healthy.
Jesus
is the Divine Physician. He came to heal us from sin, selfishness and
meaninglessness. He is brilliant in all areas of health, but principally He is a
cardiologist: He heals hearts. He knows best what makes us healthy, strong and
full of life.
In
our Gospel today, a group of Pharisees and scribes are trying to get healthy and
stay healthy on their own. Without getting an outside opinion, especially from
the Lord Himself, this group of religious leaders has gone astray. They are not
heart-healthy.
Jesus
offers a painful diagnosis: “This people honors me with their lips, but their
hearts are far from me.” They are focused on the rules and regulations for
ritual cleansing before meals. They are bogged down in the minor details of the
secondary laws and miss the big picture. After an extended period of time of
focusing on the wrong things, they have become completely confused about what
makes the heart strong.
Our
Lord goes on to name what really defiles a person — that is, the most important
causes of serious heart problems: “From within people, from their hearts, come
evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from
within and they defile.”
The
sad truth is that it is very easy in life to imitate the Pharisees and scribes
and focus on the things in life that we find easy to address or the things that
we, in our weakness, consider important while ignoring much more significant
issues, tasks or problems.
Do
you want a healthy heart? When was the last time you made a real appointment
with Jesus? Jesus is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He even makes
house calls. He loves to heal us and always starts with a healthy dose of mercy.
It is amazing how generous He is with the gift of forgiveness. And He never asks
for a co-pay.
Every
good physician wants not only to heal ailments and avoid sickness but also to
promote lasting health. Jesus has a proven plan for restoring us to the fullness
of life. He inspired a manual for heart health. It was, interestingly, authored
by four of His patients: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
One
of His other patients, the author of the letter of St. James, encourages the
world to visit that manual (which you can easily find online): “Humbly welcome
the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers
of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.”
Jesus
knows how important the heart is to our well-being. He alone has the perfect
remedy to heal and strengthen our hearts. Are you willing to entrust your heart
to Him?
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