“DO NOT STOP THEM”: A LESSON IN TOLERANCE

HOMILY FOR THE 26^TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

We find a very awesome similarity between the story lines of the First Reading and that of the Gospel. And it is in this similarity that we can discover the very important message for Christians today.

In the First Reading (Numbers 11:25-29), Moses had done the Lord’s wish by selecting seventy elders who would assist him to bear the burden of more than six hundred thousand Israelites in exodus to their promised land. The arrangement was that these seventy elders would come up to the mountain to encounter the Lord, and there would receive and be impacted upon some portions of the spirit of Moses. On the D-day, the Lord came down from the cloud and having spoken to Moses, infused the spirit on those elders, and they started to prophesy. However, it happened that two men -Eldad and Medad- who had been registered for that meeting had been left in the camp, and so were not in the gathering with the others. The spirit still rested on them, and while in the camp, they prophesied. When Joshua, Moses’ assistant saw what happened, and thinking that these men should not have been among those who were prophesying, most probably because they were not in the gathering, he went to Moses and pleaded him to stop these two men. Moses’ answer demonstrated that they ought to be left to continue. His answer depicted that the Lord needs as many prophets as possible. The Lord needs many of us, and so we ought to allow one another to flourish in the Lord. Since no one can limit the power of the God’s spirit, we must be careful not to allow ourselves try to limit the extent our fellows use the gift of God.

We see the character of Joshua been played by John in the Gospel Reading (Mark 9:38-48). Having taught his disciples the importance of welcoming other people (cf. Mark 9:37), the disciples felt some remorse and had to ask Jesus one more question, most probably to clear the guilt. In a sort of report, John then boldly told Jesus that they saw someone driving out demons in His name, and tried to stop him because he does not follow them. The reply of Jesus must have been a very shocking one to them. One could imagine that they expected to learn of an exception to this rule of welcoming, but Jesus had to beat their imagination, and ours too: do not stop them; there is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me, for whoever is not against us is for us. By that revolutionary response, Jesus releases to them and us important lessons in tolerance.

1. We need not speak against anything we do not perfectly understand. We are many times too fast to condemn what we do not understand. The truth is larger than one person’s grasp of it. No one person can possess the whole truth. However, we must know that the foundation of tolerance is not a lazy acceptance of anything or the feeling that there cannot be assurance anywhere, but the realization of the magnitude of the orbit of truth that God does reveal to us; that no one has the monopoly of discovering the truth about God. Tolerance means a reverence for all the possibilities of truths in God, with a convincing acknowledgement that it can be found in diverse cultures and times. It is a respect for freedom that God can make another, other than ourselves to prophesy and work for him. Intolerance can be a sign of arrogance and ignorance. In tolerance, a person believes that there can be truths beyond the truth he sees.

2. We need not think ourselves (our thoughts, ideas, beliefs) more special and higher than everyone else’s, and hence disregarding and discrediting the prowls of another. One aspect of this is that many times, we tend to discredit others because we feel the other is trying to get to the same level as us; and so whatever effort he/she makes becomes superfluous. Another aspect of it is that some other times, we are inclined to criticise what we cannot achieve or an idea too high for us to understand. However, tolerance is not a simple acceptance of errors and sins to thrive in the guise of respecting the other person’s thought or way of life. It is the recognition that in pursuing the truth of life and in God, there can be different ways employable by us, and may be permissible by God. Remember, the disciple saw another person using the name of Jesus. Intolerance can a sign of jealousy. Moses had to ask Joshua: are you jealous for my sake. In tolerance, a person believes that the truth about God he searches is also sought after by others, for God may will to construct many routes to the same destination.

3. We need not hate a man for not sharing in our ideas about God. We need not shut someone up for not speaking what we need to hear. We need not hush someone for not expressing God the way a particular people does. However, tolerance is not a blind acceptance and love for ideas and doctrines inimical to our faith. If the man had spoken ill of Christ, then he was against Him. This means that only in this condition could they have stopped him, for the person is not for them. Tolerance is the recognition that other spiritual gifts can emanate from ways and in persons we least expect inasmuch as our faith is not destroyed. The disciple thought the only people who have right to use the name of Jesus were themselves. Joshua thought that the only elders who must prophesy were those on the mountains. They never knew God had selected/anointed others and had allowed them to become channels for divine grace. Intolerance can indicate hatred for particular group of people. In tolerance, a person might not accept another’s thought but still loves him/her.

In all, there are several reasons why men are intolerant: self-exaltation, jealousy and envy, pride and arrogance, and the desire for segregation in the guise of unity. Intolerance has destroyed many lives, wrecked relationships, and continues to cause strife and division, hurt and pain. At the end, it brings shame and disgrace. It was for the sake of intolerance that St. James condemned the selfishly rich people. They were intolerant in being free and generous with their treasures. They allowed their riches to render them hard hearted. A person of tolerance would understand that no one desires to be so poor as to be a burden to another. Do you not think that we need ourselves, irrespective of our backgrounds, varied ideas, and different belief systems? Happy new week. God bless you.

OUR AMBITION, OTHERS MISERY?

HOMILY FOR THE 25^TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

A life that has no ambition is hopeless. It is an important aspect of the nature of man to search continuously for something higher and to fight to become more fulfilled as the days go by. To have an ambition is to aspire after success or advancement. And no one can deny that it is good to aim after success and progress. Where the scandal comes lies in the spirit and in the method one desires to go about such ambition. If it comes from a pretentious spirit or an inordinate method, then it can be termed ambitiousness. Thus, having ambition which is something expected of every reasonable human being becomes scandalous when the intention and the manner of such aspiration go with utter selfishness. At this point, it becomes ambitiousness. This is what St. James condemns in the Second Reading (James 3:16-4:3): where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. At the point where ambition is born from jealousy and selfishness, it becomes very destructive and hampers the love and progress of the community.

The instruction of Jesus to his disciples in the Gospel (Mark 9:30-37) was also geared towards guiding them against such selfish desire that destroys the community of faith -ambitiousness. Having taught them about the way of the cross of the messiah, the disciples started arguing over who should hold the highest position in the kingdom. Their interest was for the honour in an earthly kingdom. Jesus had to re-educate their thinking. Having the need to be recognized and regarded with honour is human, but so many times, people allow their hearts to be ruled by selfishness, wanting more and more to the point of hoarding that which does not belong to them and causing the destruction of others. Christ teaches the disciples on the dangers of ambition and what constitutes true greatness.

1) Selfish ambition causes disputes: The disciples kept on arguing among themselves along the way which did not even stop when they entered the house. Their arguments made them to lose focus and comportment. And this argument came after Jesus’ second prediction of his death. They were not paying attention to Jesus, but to their selfish desires of occupying positions of authority. And this desire led them to quarrel and divide. When we pursue the world so much, we are most likely to forget the way of the Christ -cross. And when we forget the cross, we grow heartless and wicked; for at that moment, we shall no longer feel the cross other people carry. Such a lifestyle becomes a play of the sayings of the wicked in the First Reading (Wisdom 2:12, 17-20). Any ambition that brings divide among people is wrong.

2) Selfish ambition breeds shame: The arguments of the disciples depicted people who were thinking in terms of earthly power, fame, wealth, position and name. It is clear that they misunderstood the concept of the messiah as Jesus taught. Ambitiousness can becloud the mind not to see things that should have been easily seen. And immediately Jesus asked them what they were arguing about, they kept quiet and said nothing in response. This is because their subject matter was shameful to say. They were ashamed and knew they had done wrong. Their selfish ambition had led them to shame. Any ambition that leads one to shame is wrong. What shall be our answer when we shall be asked by God what is it that we were arguing as we walked through life?

3) Every ambition needs guidance: When there is proper instruction to the ambition in us to succeed, then we see what great virtue ambition is. And sitting down, Jesus called the disciples who had slipped into great error and corrected them. Their ambition requires instruction and guidance in the right direction. At the face of our great aspirations and plans, there is the need to find someone who can direct you properly in the right path to go about it. Guided ambitions yield powerful results.

4) Ambition is a virtue: That ambition is a virtue which is directed towards the right goal. It is not wrong to desire greatness, as we did not find Jesus rebuking the followers for having ambitions. What he did was to direct those ambitions, intentions and efforts in the right way. Such right way is service. If anyone wishes to be great, then the person must serve in humility and actively work for the sake of others (cf. Phil 2:3-4). Our ambition must be for the sake of serving others with our gifts and not receiving honour from men. If you desire greatness, search for it in service. Every higher level demands higher responsibility. We need not want authority without the responsibility attached. That responsibility is carried out in humble service.

Finally, we must know that the ambition for service proves our discipleship. The practical example Jesus gave his disciples has something to teach us. He took a child in his arms and made them to understand that the very qualities that are necessary to receive a child should be seen in the character of the Christian or the person searching for positions of authority. These qualities are: readiness to render help to others; for a child is dependent on others, effort to understand and condone the actions of the child; for a child can really be childish, trusting that the child will learn and grow; for the child can repeat mistakes, patience in teaching the child; for the child can be sometimes slow to learn, forgiving the child who does not set out to wrong anyone.

The child here can represent the subsidiaries, the governed, and most importantly, the Church faithful. These are the qualities required of those aspiring to become leaders both in the Church and in the society. If these qualities are not found, we may end up inflicting on others great pains. The ambitions we have and the way we achieve them (and even when we think we have achieved them) ought not to cause the misery of others. It is to serve, love and encourage the people we lead. It is not to victimize  nor to show off power. Yes, the greatest of them all must be their servant. The higher we go, the better should we serve. The more we serve, the more should we grow humble in service (Humilitatem ministerium). May we become worthy servants of our great master, Jesus. Amen. Happy new week; God bless you.

THE COST OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST

HOMILY FOR THE 24^TH SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

St. Patrick, the Patron saint of Ireland told the story of the greatest convert he made in his missionary activities in Ireland. A pagan chieftain eventually accepted to become a Christian and be baptised. During the baptismal ceremony, the man was seen losing his breath. All of a sudden, all could see him turn from white to yellow and to red. At the end, he fainted and collapsed on the floor. Only then did the people notice that all through the ceremony, the crozier of the Bishop was resting on his left foot and was piercing through it. When the man was eventually revived, he was asked why he did not complain when he noticed the discomfort that nearly cost him his life. He replied: Sir, I thought it was part of the ritual. And he is right to the point. The Christian life involves pains and sacrifices that may not be totally comprehensible. The cross of Christ is part and parcel of the Christian identity and lifestyle.

In the Gospel (Mark 8:27-34), we are marvelled at the boldness and confidence with which Jesus corrected the mentality of his disciples, as it were, of saving the world without dying on the cross. Having led his disciples to the discovery of the identity of the Christ, what is then left is to make them understand the way of that Christ. The man Jesus who loved to speak in parables had to depart from his regular parabolic style. His being so direct is to make sure that there could be no possibility of misunderstanding him. If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  

In this sentence are three conditions of coming after Jesus (οπισω μου ελθιεν): 1. Self-denial (απαρνησασθω): This is not just a denial of oneself from pleasure, but a disowning of oneself, in such manner that the person believes and lives it out that God is his owner and not himself.  2. Taking up the cross (άρατω τον σταυρον αυτου): The cross here is strictly the transverse beam (not plank) placed at the top of the vertical part. Each criminal carried his own cross and moved towards crucifixion. So, everyone is expected to carry his own cross, not the cross of another 3. Followership (άκολουθειτω): This is not simply to follow from behind, the preposition used in Mark 1:17 and 8:34 (οπίσω) denoting to come after. This means to accompany side by side, an accompaniment in which the persons interact verbally with one other (άκολουθειτω, having the same root as άκουω, I listen). Hence, the bearer of the cross must walk side by side with Jesus conversing with Him as a friend. It is in that conversation that he can find energy and courage to continue. With Jesus, our crosses become much lighter. Surely, everyone has got a cross to carry, but the question remains: are we walking with Jesus?

Jesus placed much emphasis on this. This emphasis is much more evident when we render these three implications in Greek: απαρνησασθω εαντον, και άρατω τον σταυρον αυτου, και άκολουθειτω μοι: let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross, and let him follow me. In our study of the figures of speech, this is what is called an anaphora; that is the usage of a specific word or clause at the beginning of each sentence to demonstrate serious concern, to evoke sentiments and to lay emphasis on the concern. However, apart from the fact that the statement was of great concern to Jesus, the emphasis is focused on the person who is carrying the cross. It is not the cross that carries us. We carry the cross. Jesus is interested in the person bearing the cross, no matter what the cross may be. Thus, we reciprocate by being interested in Jesus, and not merely the crosses that we carry. Trusting in Jesus truly helps. The First Reading from the oracle of Isaiah (Isaiah 50:4c-9a) tells us: the Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced.

The identity of the Christian is the identity of the cross. Following and knowing Christ entails passing through the cross of suffering; and sticking out our necks to be tortured for the sake of Christ. That is the demand of discipleship. Christianity without the cross is mundanity. If there is no cross, there will not be any crown. Christ suffered and then entered into the glory of the Father. We must be encouraged by the words of Romans 8:17: provided that we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified with Him. A cross-less Christianity is a Christ-less Christianity. In the cross of Christ is salvation (In crucis Christi salus es).  

The cross of Christ is CENTRAL to the Christian faith. The Christian ought to maintain this centrality of the cross in his/her life, and should never decide to leave Jesus during the hard times. If the Christian fails to do this, then he/she will grow tired, weak and depressed have no future. But if he/she does this conscientiously, then he/she can survive and be strengthened by God.

The cross of Christ is REDEMPTIVE. Through the cross God showed His omnipotence. The Christian must put his whole trust in God, and not in any other thing or even in oneself, knowing that only God redeems and ransoms. If the Christian fails to do this, then there is bound to be failure, but if he/she adheres to this,then can he/she redeem and change the world.

In the cross of Christ is a radical OBEDIENCE. The Christian must turn away from worldly message and desires and must not shy away from the world in a purported spirit of asceticism, but must live in the everyday world, and be inspired by the radical obedience of love towards God’s will. If we tend to forget to whom our obedience is due, we end up enslaving and enchaining ourselves. But if we do everything in total obedience to God, then can we become free; free in imitating the  service of Christ, the service of God by which you can truly serve others.

In the cross of Christ is SERVICE. The Christian ought not to present himself as an earthly king or governor; knowing well that the kingdom of Jesus the Christ is not of this world (cf. Luke 18:36). Our role must be a spiritual diakonia; that is, service. If we fail to do this, then we may loose our dignity and rank and the very justification of our existence. But if we do this without pump and majesty, we will find in our service our true greatness, which is in the cross of Christ, for only in losing your life can you regain it.

The cross of Christ is SAVING. It is a saving event for sinners. The Christian message is the message of salvation, the joyful good news, and the message of peace. Remembering the very words of Christ that it is the sick that needs the doctor (cf. Matt. 9:12-13), we must be ever ready to be there for the sinners and the godless men, and hence must forgive, heal and save. If we fail to recognise that we too are sinful and exists, then we find ourselves growing hard-hearted, self-righteous and without compassion, deserving neither the mercy of God nor the confidence of men. But if we recognize and do this, then can we have the grace of holiness and righteousness. Yes, the CROSS.

Yes, one can imagine how hard these teachings are. And so, co-relatively, we can imagine the feeling the disciples had after that message of the cross from Jesus. The feeling of disappointment might have been shown on their faces. Their zeal for fellowship may have been punctured. However, the resurrection faith was there afterwards to sustain them. This is the same disappointment we encounter today when we suffer from pressures around us. We tend to ask why God is so far from us. We become prisoners of our thoughts, and tend to alienate ourselves from others, thereby quarantining ourselves as if we are banned from associations. Those ones are not the necessary crosses meant for us. Ours is the cross of faith; that faith that works as St. James puts it (James 2:14-18) in the Second Reading. That is the necessary cross to bear. It is time to get up (even when we know the cross is still there) with the firm hope that those troubling issues make us stronger. Drop those unnecessary crosses of worries, and pick up once more the necessary cross of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember, the cross of the Christian is the crucifix. The cross makes no meaning if it has no image of the Christ. The cross was the symbol of death, criminality, shame, disgrace, and infidelity but with the death of Christ on it, it became the symbol of life, sainthood, fame grace and faith. The cross then is meaningless without the person -Christ- who made it meaningful. May our strength not fail us. Amen. God bless you and Happy New week.

EPHPHATHA!!! BE OPENED

HOMILY FOR THE 23^RD SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The Gospel (Mark 7:31-37) tells us the story of how Jesus cured a deaf man. After his encounter with the Syrophoenician woman in the region of Tyre, Jesus returned to the region of the Decapolis through Sidon. While he was there, people brought to him a man who was deaf and dumb and pleaded with him to cure him. He took him aside and having performed his ritual uttered the word “Ephphatha.” Immediately, the man became whole again and the people continued to proclaim the incident even when Jesus had ordered them not to talk about it. They kept on saying: He has done all things well; this is because he brings restoration to the human body/senses. This same restoration was prophesied in the oracle of Isaiah in the First Reading (Isaiah 35:4-7a) concerning the signs that would follow the people’s return back to Zion. This promise of restoration is not only limited to their going back to their land, or the revival of their land, but also the restoration of their physical bodies. An this is exactly what Jesus did when he uttered that powerful word: EPHPHATHA.

Ephphatha is according to the evangelist, the actual word addressed by Jesus to the deaf man (Mark 7:34). It is an Aramaic word, translated in Greek as meaning ‘Be opened.’ It is one of the characteristics of Mark that he uses the very Aramaic words which fell from our Lord’s lips. (cf. Mark 3:17; 5:41;7:11;14:36;15:34). This word has become a very popular word that is used by many Christians to show the power of God over stagnant realities that need to blossom. To utter the word is to get ourselves reminded that God is above every ailment and that He is able to open all closed doors affecting the joy and livelihood of the children of God. However, ephphatha can be very much personalized if we realize that the heart is the seat of faith. And if there is a place within us that needs to be opened, it is the heart. This is why people talk about having a large heart; one that is open. This is the point of St. James in the Second Reading as he admonishes all Christians to show no partiality or distinction based on the riches of the world. A heart that is closed up within itself is prone to this vice, but a large heart shows no partiality. Such a heart needs to hear Jesus as he speaks to him that most piercing word -EPHPHATHA.

Ephphatha implies and has the goal of inclusiveness. It is so amazing to notice the precedents to the use of this word by Jesus. The first concerns the route taken by Jesus in v. 31 which is intriguing. It has been called a roundabout route by some commentators. He took a circuitous route passing north from Tyre through Sidon and then Southeast across the Leontes, continuing south past Ceasarea Philipi to the East of Jordan, and thus approached the lake of Galilee on its East side within the territory of the Decapolis. This movement is like going from Glasgow to Edinburgh via Perth or going from Lagos to Aba via Abuja and Portharcourt. It seems incredible; yes, but there is an explanation to this. This journey which was largely through Gentile towns may have been intended by Mark as an anticipation to the Church’s mission to the Gentile (remember, Mark’s audience were the Gentiles). Hence, through such a circuitous route, Jesus’ redemptive trip ‘opened up’ mission to the Gentile world. It was a sort of Ephphata to the Gentiles.

On arrival to the Decapolis region, the people brought to him a deaf man. Notice that the deaf man did not go on his own; he was brought to Jesus by others. These people wanted their brother to be well again. This is how the Church presents her ailing members to Jesus for healing. It is important to go to Jesus and to talk to Him as a community. Having heard the voice of the community, Jesus had the compassion to heal the man. Through our presentation by the community of faith, we are saved individually. The community becomes the foundation for individual redemption. The Church should therefore ‘be open’ to present her sick to Jesus. He took him aside in private. A deaf man could not hear. So, Jesus related with him in the language that he would understand: put his fingers into his ears, spat and touched his tongue. For whatever is received is received according to the mode of the receiver. The effort God makes to save us is equal to none. He identifies with us in our situation. And He relates to us according to our situation. Jesus by this showed a very tender consideration for the feelings of a man for whom life was very difficult.

Ephphatha implies divine re-creation and restoration. When we hear that Jesus touched and opened the sense organs of this man, we are reminded of the act of God in creating man out of dust (Gen. 2:7). He breathed into his nostrils the breadth of life, and the man became a living being. He opened the closed door, as it were, and life was born. This can be regarded as the primordial ephphatha which was the unlocking of the many organs in the body of man that he started existing. Here in the Gospel, Jesus unlocked the ear and the tongue that man may be restored to that initial wholesomeness. Jesus discontinued the man’s former mode of existence as he initiates completeness. This is revolutionary; a continuity in discontinuity. Beyond the physical opening is a spiritual opening in Christ. At the very final rite of the Sacrament of Baptism, an ephphatha is performed. Just as Christ who touched the deaf man, the minister touches the child’s ears to receive the word, and the mouth to proclaim the faith. This becomes the opening of the ‘door of faith’ which enables us to open the ‘door of mercy.’ Our minds easily go to the spiritual benefit of the holy doors opened during the year of mercy (2015-2016). The opening of those holy doors signified that the obstacles between God and men are removed and that a special pathway to Christ without the blockade of sin has been opened; ephphatha.

Indeed, he has done all things well. This was the people’s attestation to the healing work of Jesus. This reaction is also revelatory; in it the people opened up and declared that Jesus indeed has done all things well. This is like the verdict of God upon his own creation in the beginning: and indeed, it was very good (Gen. 1:31). hence, Jesus’ act of restoration and recreation was the beginning of a movement that has the goal of placing everything back to that initial goodness that man spoilt. Jesus desires to bring back the beauty of God to the world which man’s sins had rendered ugly. We too share as the new people of Christ in this mission to restore the beauty of creation. We bring our ailing members to Christ and beg him to heal them. We thank Him too when he heals them and so having restored our wholesomeness, we herald with one another in the Church: he has done all things well; because our hearts and minds have been opened; ephphatha. I wish you the grace of ephphatha; and may all the closed doors that should have been opened for you before now be made open this week and always. Amen. God bless you.

GOING BACK TO THE VOICE OF GOD

HOMILY FOR THE 22^ND SUNDAY IN THE ORDINARY TIME, YEAR B

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

The law that comes from God comes with the purpose of love to help humans live well with fellow humans and to aid them to be close to the untainted intention of God for mankind -that mankind will come back to him after the life here on earth. This law of the Lord is always perfect and aims at the goodness of mankind. However, many times, this law suffers from mutilation, misinterpretation, and undue exaggeration in the hands of human beings. Since the laws are meant for us human beings, some of us claim that we have to adapt them according to the way they soothe us, while others claim that these laws have become anachronistic and ought to be discarded, while others still believe in a strict adherence to the dictates of the law. And sometimes, we do feel that the God who gave the law ought to be present to give us an interpretation that is ad rem to His initial intention. But few of the times, we come to discover that God did not leave the laws for us to interpret them the way we want but to simply make sincere effort to apply them for our good. These laws of God are founded in love to help man to live freely in the society.

There was a call by Moses in the First Reading (Deut. 4:1-2, 6-8) on the Israelites to the importance of obedience to the law of the Lord. The law demands obedience. If the people refuses to obey the law, then the law is meaningless. The law is respected when it is obeyed, and the obedience to the law is an obedience to the giver of the law. Moses as the lawyer calls the people to simply and carefully observe the commands of God without adding or subtracting from them. This is the problem of mankind. We tend to add or subtract from the reality of how things actually are. Think about the great harm done to the society by some media homes who add or subtract from their news relayed to the world. Think about the tension created by the social media where additions or subtraction to real life experiences and happenings are replete. Think about the rift created in relationships when there are unnecessary additions or subtractions regarding what has been said or done. And if we may ask; what could be the major cause of this inclination of man not to present reality as it is? Surely, the causes may be very diverse, but it starts from somewhere.

The situation whereby man tries to take the place of God is the foundation of the cause. When a man does not make effort in humility to read and understand the laws of God well for proper application, and goes ahead to believe that whatever explanation he/she offers to it would become acceptable to others, he certainly starts to breed a confused society. He sets others towards the pathway of missing the target; and this is the real meaning of sin -missing the target God sets for us. The consequence of this is that mankind moves from the misinterpretation of God’s laws to making of his own laws while still hiding under the cloaks of the divine law. At this juncture, mankind’s law becomes more exalted than God’s law. And in fact, anyone acquainted with the new movements of our post-modern society would see an epoch that has completely disregarded God’s law and had taken man’s law to be their God. This is why the world would continue to experience great tensions and pressures. We have added and subtracted from the law of God. Moses’ warning is a proof that he was aware that men’s addition or subtraction to the commands of God will lead to tensions and problems in the human society.

This is the type of tension we meet in the Gospel of today (Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23). This is a situation where mankind has missed the mark of proper interpretation to God’s law and has taken her tradition to become the law of God. The Jews had a tradition of ritual cleansing. We must spell it out from the onset that a people’s tradition can only be termed sacred if it aligns with the intent and dictates of the law of God. The problem of the scribes and Pharisees who were the interpreters of the law for the Jews was that they became so confused at what point their tradition was trying to replace God’s law.And at that point, such a practice becomes superficial and hypocritical. No wonder Jesus called them hypocrites. The Pharisees substituted human ingenuity for the law of God. As good as such a ritual cleansing may appear to the Jew, it cannot be regarded as the law of God. So, Jesus had to correct them in this occasion. But what was the actual problem of this tradition which Jesus tries to correct?

Without delving into the complicated nature of this ceremonial cleanness, one thing stands out clear about it. They saw spiritual uncleanness as the consequence of physical uncleanness. They took physical cleansing as a sign of spiritual cleansing. This tradition mattered to the Pharisees and the scribes so much to an extent of taking them as religion. Soon, it was such ritual, ceremonial and regulations like that which they considered to be the essence of the service of God. To observe them was to please God; to break them was to sin. This tradition was what Jesus was against. Those ritual, ceremonial, rules and regulations were not what constitutes religion. Religion is constituted by the love of God and fellow men. True religion can never be the products of man’s philosophies and thought patterns. It must always come from simple listening to and accepting the voice of God. And what is this voice of God? According to St. James in the Second Reading (1:17-18, 21b-22, 27), the religion that is pure and undefiled before God is to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world. This is what practical relevance of listening to the voice of God.

By this interrogation with the Pharisees, Jesus condemns some excesses in religion which may also be applicable to us today. Jesus condemns the religion that places tradition over human needs. For the Pharisees, the disciples of Jesus broke the rule of washing the hands before eating a meal. Thus, in their eyes, the disciples were unclean in the sight of God. If Jesus were a true Rabbi, he shouldn’t have allowed such deviation from his disciples, they must have thought. Here, we see how the interrogators of Jesus placed their tradition above the human needs of the disciples. Therefore, if religion desires to purify itself, human spiritual and physical needs must take precedence over the traditions which guide her. Jesus condemns the religion that places deceit over authenticity. The consequence is that there is more ostentation and lip-service than genuineness. If any religion desires to be purified, she must remember always the words of Jesus concerning hypocrisy, and learn not to merely honour God with lip service, but also to have their hearts in God, and at same time knowing that it is the thing that comes out of a person that defiles him/her.

Jesus condemns the religion that places doctrine over discipline. If any religion desires to purify herself, she must constantly grow in the consciousness that her teachings should not be mere rules taught by men, but rules given by God and lived by men. Jesus condemns the religion that places man-made commands over God’s command. The consequence of teaching merely the tradition of men is to loose focus of God’s norms. So, is any religion desires purity, she must place first and regard the highest the commands of God, such that the man-made ones flow directly from the god-made rules. And lastly, Jesus condemns the religion that places self-image over contrition. Self-image is important, but a contrite heart is what is needed in religion. It is expected that it the development and enhancement of a contrite spirit (a heart that does not harbour evil) which diffuses out to the world and then can it give the real image which every religion should seek. When self-image is regarded as more important than a contrite heart, religion looses its purity. It is from within that our self-image can be built and made stable. And this is what it means to go back to the voice of God; the God who continues to reveal Himself to us. May our response to his revelation have its take-off point from the heart and not from our human brains. Amen. Happy new week. God bless you.