Qua bài Tin Mừng, Người Pharisêu và những người Do thái đã chất vấn Chúa Giêsu rất nhiều điều, nhưng với ý tưởng xấu xa của họ, Họ không phải hỏi Chúa Giêsu để tìm hiều hay học hỏi thêm về Chân Lý và sự thật, nhưng mục đích của họ muốn nêu lên những câu hỏi là muốn gài bẫy Chúa Giêsu và để họ có dịp triệt hạ Ngài.. Những người Do thái bình thường thì họ đánh giá cao sự khôn ngoan và sự tốt lành của Chúa Giêsu, trong khi đó, các nhà lãnh đạo tôn giào của họ đã khóa kín cửa lòng của họ, để đánh mất cái khôn ngoan mà không biết sự khiêm tốn và nhân nhượng vì thế họ không thể nhận ra rằng Chúa Giêsu, người đứng trước mặt họ là người có sự khôn ngoan còn to lớn hơn của vua Solomon.
Các môn đệ của Giêsu thông thường cũng không thể hiểu được những lời Giáo Huấn của Chúa, nhưng ít ra họ đã có cố gắng tìm tòi và học hỏi them ở nơi Chúa Giêsu. Quan trọng hơn, là họ còn nhớ được những giáo huấn mà Chúa đã truyền dạy cho họ, vì họ hiểu được rằng, sau khi Chúa Giêsu sống lại và lên trời, họ phải có khả năng nhớ lại những điểm quan trọng nhất của giáo lý của Ngài.
Wednesday 5th Week in Ordinary Time
The Pharisees and others questioned Jesus but, with a few exceptions, their intention was not to seek the truth but only to trap him. Ordinary people often appreciated the wisdom and the goodness of Jesus while their leaders were locked in their intransigence and could not realize that Jesus stood before them with wisdom greater than that of Solomon. Jesus’ own disciples were frequently unable to understand him, but at least they sought further clarification. More importantly, they remembered better than they understood so that, after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven, they were able to recall the most significant points of his teaching.
As the Church spread all over the earth, She was able, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to rely on that teaching to deal with the many questions which arose throughout the ages to challenge our faith and our way of living. Blessed are we indeed, who enjoy the gift of faith, the truth given to us by Jesus which sets us free. Lord Jesus, we thank You for the gift of our faith and ask that we may always be attentive to the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, who guides us to remember Your teaching with understanding.
When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable. He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” Mark 7:17–19
We experience varying levels of intimacy in our relationships. Some acquaintances, such as neighbors or colleagues, we only know superficially, while with a spouse, sibling, or close friend, we share a much deeper bond. Yet, even in the most intimate human relationships—such as that of a longtime married couple—we never achieve perfect knowledge of the other person.
Similarly, our relationship with Christ must continually deepen. Unlike human relationships, however, God already knows us perfectly—better than we know ourselves. Still, He invites us to grow in knowledge and love of Him as He gradually reveals Himself to us. This ongoing process will continue not only in this life but even in eternity, as we behold the Beatific Vision. In Heaven, our union with God will be ever-expanding, as we enter more deeply into the infinite mystery of His divine presence.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus revealed Himself more clearly to His closest companions than He did to the crowds. His self-revelation came by way of an intimate teaching about the “parable” He taught to the people. In this context, Jesus’ parable was not a traditional parable but a short and direct statement that used symbolic language to convey a deeper spiritual truth. He taught the crowd: “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” (Mark 7:14–15). While seemingly straightforward, this teaching is called a parable because it invites contemplation and requires deeper understanding to grasp its full spiritual significance.
In this parable, Jesus’ teaching challenged the crowd’s preconceived notions regarding purity and holiness. By addressing the heart as the true source of defilement, He invited His listeners to move beyond mere external observance of the law and to focus instead on the inner disposition of their souls. It’s also important to understand that He taught His close disciples in a more intimate way than He taught the crowds.
After teaching the crowds, Jesus and His disciples went “home,” where they questioned Him about the parable. This intimate moment teaches us that personal prayer is our own “home,” where we encounter Christ away from the distractions of the world. It is there that we must approach Him daily with questions—not out of doubt, but from a desire to know Him more deeply. Questions lead to attentive listening, understanding, and intimacy.
At the beginning of our relationship with God, He often speaks in more general terms. For those going through an initial conversion, Jesus’ general teachings are life-changing. As we mature in our faith and seek to deepen our relationship with God, we must see ourselves among Jesus’ close companions as they grew in holy intimacy. Doing so requires daily effort and intentionality. Just as a married couple cannot grow closer without meaningful communication, so too must we open our hearts to God each day, speaking honestly and listening attentively to His voice. Without this, our relationship with Him risks remaining superficial.
Reflect today on the ways you approach your relationship with Christ. Do you seek Him in the quiet of your personal “home,” asking questions and listening attentively? Consider how you can make your prayer life more intentional, opening your heart to deeper understanding and communion with Him. Just as a loving spouse or a close friend takes time to speak and listen, so too must you dedicate time daily to converse with our Lord, allowing Him to lead you into the depths of His divine wisdom and love.
My intimate Lord, You desire to reveal Yourself to me, to draw me into Your presence, and to converse with me more profoundly each day. Grant me the desire to know You, the resolve to listen attentively, and the grace to understand the depths of Your truth. Draw me ever closer, dear Lord, into a loving and intimate relationship with You. Jesus, I trust in You!
1. The Three Purposes of the Old Dietary Restrictions: Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel takes place immediately after the Pharisees from Jerusalem challenged him about his seeming lack of observance of their traditions. The Law of Moses provided strict dietary rules that had several purposes. First, they were a protection against foods that could be dangerous if not cooked or prepared properly. Second, they had a penitential dimension. The People of Israel had to make a sacrifice by not eating certain foods, like shellfish, pork, and certain cuts of beef. Third, the dietary laws protected the People of Israel from contact and table fellowship with the Gentile (pagan) nations. But a day was coming when the over 25 dietary restrictions, contained in the Law of Moses, would be rescinded. This was because the blessing given first to the children of Israel would be extended to the Gentiles. The cultural and social barrier between Israel and the Gentiles would no longer be necessary.
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.” Mark 7:14–15
What is within you? What is in your heart? Today’s Gospel concludes with a list of vices that sadly come from within: “evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.” Of course, none of these vices are desirable when looked at objectively. They are all quite repulsive. And yet too often they are sins that people deal with on a regular basis to one extent or another.
Take greed, for example. When understood clearly, no one wants to be known as one who is greedy. It’s a shameful attribute to have. But when greed is not looked at as greed, it’s easy to fall into the trap of living it. One who is greedy desires an excessive amount of this or that. More money, a better house, a nicer car, more luxurious vacations, etc. Thus, when a person is acting in a greedy way, greed does not seem undesirable. It’s only when greed is looked at in an objective way that it is understood for what it is.
In this Gospel, by naming this long list of vices, Jesus does us an incredible act of mercy. He rattles us and calls us to step back and look at sin for what it is. Jesus also makes it clear that when you live one or more of these vices, you become defiled. You become greedy, a liar, cruel, a gossip, hateful, arrogant, etc. Objectively speaking, no one wants this.
What is it in that list of vices that you struggle with the most? What do you see within your own heart? Be honest with yourself before God. Jesus desires that your heart be pure and holy, freed from these and every filth. But unless you are able to look at your own heart with honesty, it will be difficult to reject the sin with which you struggle.
Reflect, today, upon this list of sins identified by our Lord. Consider each one and allow yourself to see each sin for what it truly is. Allow yourself to despise these sins with a holy wrath and then turn your eyes to that sin with which you struggle the most. Know that as you consciously see that sin and reject it, our Lord will begin to strengthen you and purify your heart so that you become freed from that defilement and become, instead, the beautiful child of God you were made to be.
My merciful Lord, help me to see sin for what it is. Help me, especially, to see my own sin—that sin within my own heart that defiles me as Your dear child. As I see my sin, give me the grace I need to reject it and to turn to You with all my heart so that I can become a new creation in Your grace and mercy. Jesus, I trust in You!
1. Old Food Laws: Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel takes place immediately after the Pharisees from Jerusalem challenged him about observing their traditions. The Law of Moses provided strict dietary rules that had several purposes. First, they were a protection against foods that could be dangerous if not cooked or prepared properly. Second, they had a penitential dimension. The People of Israel had to make a sacrifice not eating certain foods, like shellfish, pork, and certain cuts of beef. Third, the dietary laws protected the People of Israel from contact and table fellowship with the Gentile (pagan) nations. A day was coming when the dietary restrictions, contained in the Law of Moses, would be rescinded. This is because the blessing given first to the children of Israel would be extended to the Gentiles. The cultural and social barrier between Israel and the Gentiles would no longer be necessary.
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