Gospel for February 8, 2011

Gospel : Mark 7: 1-13

That Which Defiles

Now the Pharisees and some of the scribes that had come from Jerusalem gathered about him. And when they saw some of his disciples eat their meal with defile hands, that is, unwashed ones – for the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands up to the elbow, holding fast the tradition of the men of former times, and when back from the market, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves by sprinkling; and there are many other traditions that they have received to hold fast, baptisms of cups and pitchers and copper vessels; so the Pharisees and scribes asked him: “Why is it your disciples do not conduct themselves according to the tradition of the men of former times, but they take their meal with defiled hands?” Jesus said to them: Isaiah aptly prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honor me with [their] lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach as doctrines commands of men.’ Letting go the commandment of God, you hold fast the tradition of men.”

Further, Jesus went on to say to them; “Adroitly you set aside the commandment of God in order to retain your tradition. For example, Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ and, ‘Let him that reviles father or mother end up in death.’ But you men sa, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother: “Whatever I have by which you may get benefit from me is corban, (that is a gift dedicated to God)” You men no longer let him do a single thing for his father or his mother, and thus you make the word of God invalid by you tradition which you handed down. And many things similar to this you do.”