Homily OT (B) 22nd Sunday - Their Hearts Are Far from Me

Homily

Good evening, my name is Deacon Andrew, and I am from the United States. It’s a pleasure for me to be visiting this parish tonight. I was ordained just a few weeks ago, and God willing, I will be ordained a priest in December of this year. So, I am very grateful for your prayers. Please excuse my Italian. If I make a few mistakes, as Blessed John Paul II said, you can correct me.

As a visitor in Italy, I have noticed that our countries have something in common. Italian and American kids both play Tag. I suppose kids all over the world know this game. You touch the adversary and say, “Toccato!” and then run away before he touches you back.

For the adults here tonight, you haven’t played for years, so perhaps we should review how the game goes. The object of the game is to stay “clean” by not being touched by those who contaminate. Once contaminated, you have to touch someone else to become clean again—and on and on. If you ask me, “Why is it that being touched, I become unclean, and touching clean again,” I’ll say, “I don’t know, that’s the rules of the game.”

Life in ancient Israel was similar. Now I’m clean. Now I’m unclean. Clean, unclean. Back and forth. But who makes the rules? What makes a clean man unclean? What makes us unfit for God? Only the Lord could tell the Israelites because only he speaks with divine authority. Thus we read, “you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it.” The Lord, and the Lord alone, makes the rules.

In the 1st reading, Moses, as God’s spokesperson says, “Hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe.” Hear the statutes... What are these statutes? Why would a Jew care to keep them?

Only the Jew who was “clean” could enter the precincts of the Temple and partake in worship. Deuteronomy 14 was full of minute statutes regarding clean and unclean foods. You can eat gazelle and quail, but not camel or ostrich. Sorry, no flies, eels or bats. And remember, “you shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

That might seem strange to us. Can you imagine living in those times of salvation history? “Hey, Salvatore, are you coming to Temple tonight?” “I can’t, Giuseppe, I’m unclean.” “Man, what happened? Did you bump into a leper? Stumble over a dead dog?” “No, I boiled a goat in milk.” “Bummer!”

All joking aside, we forget that being a faithful follower of God in those days entailed fulfilling such laws. Even Mary, the Mother of God, lived the prescriptions of the Torah. When Jesus was presented at the Temple, she offered a pair of turtledoves (Lk 2:24) for her purification according to the Law of Moses, because even though she was morally immaculate, childbirth made her ritually impure.

Even today, orthodox Jews only eat kosher foods: no mixing of dairy and meat products. That’s right, no pepperoni pizza, no cheeseburgers, no saltimbocca! Why? They had to keep pure to worship YHWH. Then there were other statutes about how to remedy defilement.

But aren’t these silly rules? Why would God make Israel go to so much trouble? Besides, don’t they train us to think that what really counts is the external practice of devotion, not inward righteousness? What is the purpose of these statutes?

God’s purpose is twofold. As a good Teacher and Father, he instructs his children who have gone astray with a divine pedagogy. First, he wants to teach us to be children, not slaves. Second, he wants to give us a memorable symbol of Christ.

To teach us to be children, not slaves, he ties a divine promise to our obedience.

Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

The Lord offers an inheritance. He does not put us in the position of subservient slaves, who act only out of duty or fear of punishment. He exhorts our fidelity as a loving response to his own generous love, just as our parents give us gifts on our birthdays, and we give them a kiss in return. God gave us Commandments that we might receive the Promised Land (heaven) as an inheritance. Slaves don’t receive an inheritance; children do. That means YHWH is Abba! (No world religion ever made so bold a claim as that!)

Secondly, in giving the Israelites rules about defilement, ritual washings, etc., the Lord gives them an unforgettable symbol of what is to come in Christ. Even now we can become defiled and disqualified from worship: “in vain do they worship me.” Their praise is dead, because mortal sin kills the soul: “their hearts are far from me.” It is no longer the stomach that counts; it’s the heart.

To be fair, even in the Old Testament YHWH was not promoting outward expressions of piety, void of love. The OT prophets decried merely ceremonial practices, as we read in today’s Psalm. Who is the one who does justice? The one who thinks the truth in his heart. Elsewhere, the prophets make it clear that the one who is really unclean is the one who has an evil conduct (Ezk 36:17).

But the problem was that after millennia of playing God’s game by God’s rules, no one could totally avoid defilement. Even the ones who play the game best. And who claimed to play best? The Pharisees, of course. They were so good at keeping clean, they even added new rules to the Torah, more challenging ones, to make their glory even more exalted. But this wasn’t loving obedience: the “tradition of the elders” wasn’t the inspired Word of God, but merely human tradition.

Then came Jesus. Never did our Lord reprove anyone as severely as he did the Pharisees. Why does he give these poor guys such unique attention? Weren’t there more vile people out there to upbraid?

I wonder if Jesus is giving us a clue about the most widespread offense against God. He is more wounded by hypocrites than by devil worshippers. A Psalm says, if you were my enemy, I could bear it, but I have called you my friend… That’s why Judas kiss’, the epitome of hypocrisy, is so painful: he tries to mask betrayal with a show of love, “honoring God with his lips,” but his heart is allied to Satan. Thus it is said that “Hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue.” God, who loves us so sincerely, in Spirit and in truth, loathes such duplicity. Would that you were hot or cold! Because you are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of my mouth! (Rev)

I know no one who wakes up asking, “What evil can I do today?” But all of us have had the experience of wanting to appear perfectly Christian on the outside while being perfectly selfish on the inside.

We can go to Mass regularly, avoid obviously lewd or sinful behavior in public, say prayers so that others will notice - we can do all those things exteriorly while constantly entertaining evil thoughts and self-centered desires in our hearts. We don’t care that we offend God so long as others don’t see.

When I was a small boy, my sisters and I would watch TV before our parents came home from work even though this was forbidden. If the phone rang while we were watching cartoons, we’d run and turn down the volume before picking it up. We wanted to tell our parents that we were being obedient, responsibly doing our homework or practicing piano, but we really wanted to do our own will, even if that meant disobeying.

When we’re older, this attitude can get us into more serious moral problems. I know a young Catholic couple that wanted to get married, but for a long time had given up on living a life of grace. They no longer sought the sacraments of confession or the Eucharist. But on their wedding day they wanted to invite their friends to a beautiful ceremony in the church, with the minister, the bridesmaids, the wedding dress, and the confetti. Why? Because they wanted their marriage to be according to God’s plan? No, they wanted the social benefits, even if it meant creating division in their hearts, shutting God out of a large portion of their lives.

But Jesus says, “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.”

It’s hard for us to realize how shocking this statement was to Christ’s disciples. Jesus seemed to be rewriting the Old Testament! Was Jesus adding to and subtracting from God’s commandment, as God had specifically prohibited? Yes!

In the 1st reading, we read, hear the STATUTES. Now Jesus dares to say, “Hear ME!” He then proceeds to alter the status of a large portion of the Torah, as if he had the same authority as the inspired Word, as if he were the author of Scripture, as if he were God!

Oh yeah, he is!

Jesus radically recasts the whole meaning of clean and unclean: defilement of a person comes from within, from the words and actions that spring from a soiled heart.

The laws regulating ritual impurity are no longer binding because they have fulfilled their purpose in paving the way for the One whose blood is not a sign but actually purifies us inwardly. The prescriptions of the Torah are now obsolete; Christianity would not become merely a branch of Judaism. (Thank God, you say, now we can eat saltimbocca). It is a new and fully efficacious way for all human beings to enter into communion with the living God.

And so we Christians celebrate a NEW Covenant. Where is this NOVUM Testamentum? In a book? No! Jesus spoke of the NT long before we compiled the book. The NT is here upon the altar.

“Take this all of you and drink it, this is the cup of my blood, the cup of the new and everlasting Covenant, which will be given up for you.”

And we are about to receive that saving blood which washes away our sins (Blessed are we!), but before we do, the priest exhorts us: Lift up your hearts. And we respond, We lift them up to the Lord. May our spirits be united to the words we speak, because it is right and just! God has loved us so much; he deserves our coherent lives, not lip service. When Jesus touches our lips today, may he not relive the kiss of Judas, but may he find in our hearts the desire to worship him “in Spirit and in truth.”

Readings

22nd Sunday in OT (B)

Reading 1 Dt 4:1-2, 6-8

Moses said to the people: "Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching you to observe, that you may live, and may enter in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. In your observance of the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin upon you, you shall not add to what I command you nor subtract from it. Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence of your wisdom and intelligence to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, 'This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people.' For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Or what great nation has statutes and decrees that are as just as this whole law which I am setting before you today?"

Responsorial Psalm Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5

R. One who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.

Whoever walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue.

Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; by whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD.

Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things shall never be disturbed.

Reading 2 Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27

Dearest brothers and sisters: All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. He willed to give us birth by the word of truth that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 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. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

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. --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 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, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile."

Brainstorm

· Hear the statutes: Only the pure Jew could partake in Temple worship. Dt 14 was full of minute statutes regarding clean and unclean foods, and how to remedy defilement (ritual impurity: unfit for worship or any sacred use) You can eat gazelle and quail, but not camel or ostrich. Sorry, no bats, eels or flies. And remember, you shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

o Tag: You’re it. Touched by it, contaminated. What spoils a man and makes him unfit for God?

· That you may live, possess the land: obedience tied to a divine promise. We are not subservient slaves, who act only out of duty. Our fidelity is a loving response to God’s love.

· Do justice, think the truth in your heart: even in the OT, outward expression of piety was second to inward righteousness. The OT prophets decried merely ceremonial, external practice of devotion (Is 1:11-17, Hos 6:6, Amos 5:21-27) and taught that the true defilement is evil conduct (Ezk 36:17).

· You shall not add or subtract: But Jesus does. Who is he?

· Hear me: Jesus alters the status of a large portion of the Torah, as if he had the same authority as the inspired Word, as if he were the author of Scripture. Oh yeah, he is! The laws regulating ritual impurity are no longer binding because they have fulfilled their purpose in paving the way for him. Jesus radical recasts the whole meaning of clean and unclean: defilement of a person comes from within, from the words and actions that spring from soiled heart.

· Hypocrites: Jesus reproves the Pharisees more than anyone else. Why? Is this the most widespread offense against our God? I know no one, who wakes up asking, “What evil can I do today?” But even though we all want to appear as good people, we can have secret corners of our hearts where we make no attempt to please God.

· Their hearts are far: Jesus gives no imptc to outward works void of love; he cares about who we are. Biblically, the heart (kardia, vv. 6, 19, 21) represents the inner depths of the person, the seat of decision where a person either responds to God or resists him.

· Nothing from outside can defile: the ceremonial laws were a temporary and provisional arrangement. Ritual purity had value as a symbol pointing beyond itself to purity of heart, the true basis for covenant relationship with God. The prescriptions of the Torah are now obsolete; Christianity would not become merely a branch of Judaism. It is a new and fully efficacious way for all human beings to enter into communion with the living God.

· Doers of the word: emphasis on the inward heart, doesn’t mean actions don’t matter. As water from a wellspring, good deeds flow from a pure heart. Similarly, evil deeds signify corruption of the heart. Live as you believe, or end up believing as you live.

· Lift up your hearts: we lift them up to the Lord as we offer the perfect sacrifice. May our spirits be united to the spoken words and visible gestures, because it is right and just!