22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time [B]

September 1, 2024

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

The Pharisees criticized Jesus and His disciples for not washing their hands before meals. This criticism was not from genuine concern for their hygiene but rather to judge Jesus’s observance of the purity law, primarily based on the elders’ interpretations. Yet, what is the purity law? Why is it so important for the Pharisees? Then, why did Jesus choose not to observe it?

Though not strictly about morality, the purity law is integral to the Torah. The purity laws determine whether a Jew is ritually clean or unclean. When Jews are ‘pure,’ they would be allowed to enter the Temple premises in Jerusalem and then to offer sacrifice. When they can offer sacrifice, they worship the Lord God and receive blessings like the forgiveness of sins and communion with God and fellow Jews. A Jew can become impure through physical contact with various things like dead bodies, bodily discharges (menstrual blood, male semen), certain animals (pigs, camels, certain insects, etc) and skin illness (leprosy). If they are impure, they need to perform ritual cleansing, typically by washing themselves with water. Thus, the purity law intends to ensure that they enter the holy place worthily.

However, in the time of Jesus, the purity laws extended beyond the Temple and even governed their daily lives. Purity laws became their identity marker, which made them different from other nations. Thus, the Jews needed to be clean most of the time, even if they were far from the Temple, and the one group that promoted this rigorously was the Pharisees. The purity laws also expanded beyond the Torah as the respected teachers and the rabies added their interpretations. The purity law became a complex and tedious system that strangled simple people rather than help them be worthy of the Temple, the dwelling place of the Lord.

Jesus recognized the true intention of the purity law, and thus, Jesus did not follow the excesses imposed by the Pharisees. However, Jesus did not only challenge the excessive teachings of the Pharisees, He also declared that the purity law has served its purpose. If the purpose of the purity laws is to guard unworthy people entering the Temple because it is the Lord’s holy place, but now Jesus, the Lord made flesh, is walking around. He touched the lepers and made it cleaned. He was touched by the woman with the flow of blood, which made her pure. Finally, Jesus would die on the cross, and His body would be the source of impurity, and yet, He resurrected, and His body became the source of holiness.

Jesus is the Emmanuel, the Lord with us. There is no need for the purity law. Yet, Jesus also teaches us firmly that though we no longer are bound by the purity law, to sin or to be separated from God remains our choice to make. Now, every second of our lives, every place we go, and everything we do is either the opportunity to be with Jesus or to be far from Him.

Surabaya.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP

Questions for reflection:

Do we recognize God’s presence in our lives? Where and when do we realize God’s presence in our lives? Are we aware that God is with us? Are we aware that every choice is an opportunity to glorify Him? Do we box God only in the Church or in prayer times? Are we aware that sins make us defile and far from God? Do we know that we cannot receive the holy communion when we persist in our grave sins? Do I go to confession regularly?