The gospel for Tuesday of the fifth week in Ordinary Time is taken from Mark, seventh chapter, first through 13th verse. When the Pharisees, with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of the 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. There are many other things that have been traditionally purification of cups and judge and kettles and beds. So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, why do your disciples not follow the traditions 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 doctrine human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition. He went on to say, how well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition.

For Moses said, honor your father and your mother. Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, if someone says to father or mother, any support you might have had from me is Korban, meaning dedicated to God. You allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.

The indictment of Jesus against the Pharisees reminds us of a very important truth. We have many practices in our religion, many things that we think cannot change, that we think are essential. But this gospel reminds us there is one core teaching in all of the practices of religion. And that teaching is that you and I have been gifted with this gift of redemption. We are freed of sin. We have no reason to try to earn anything from God by doing any rule or law.

We are simply called to listen to the Spirit within us and to follow that Spirit. That’s what brings us life. It’s not about doing. It’s about becoming someone infused with spirit. Closing prayer Father, help us to make distinctions between things that are simply ways of helping us to become who we need to be. And your grace, your mysterious, powerful, healing grace that transforms us.

We need to be aware and we need to be open to the transforming grace that you offer in Jesus. And we ask this in Jesus name, amen.