In today’s passage Jesus attacks
the scribes and Pharisees who
gave greater importance to legal
subtleties rather than the essence
of God’s law, which is love and
mercy.
Gospel Mk 7:1-8.14-15.21-23
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.
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 tradi-
tionally observed, such as the
purification of cups and jugs
and kettles and beds.
So the Pharisees and
scribes questioned Jesus, “Why
do your disciples not follow the
tradition of the elders but in-
stead 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 com-
mandment but cling to human
tradition.”
Jesus summoned the crowd
again and said to them, “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, un-
chastity, theft, murder, adul-
tery, greed, malice, deceit, li-
centiousness, envy, blasphemy,
arrogance, folly. All these evils
come from within and they de-
file.”
The Gospel of the Lord!
