February 7, 2018

Gospel: Mk 7:14-23
Jesus then called the people to him again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters a person from the outside can make that person unclean. It is what comes from within that makes a person unclean. Let everyone who has ears listen.” When Jesus got home and was away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about this saying, and he replied, “So even you are dull? Do you not see that whatever comes from outside cannot make a person unclean, since it enters not the heart but the stomach, and is finally passed out?” Thus Jesus declared that all foods are clean. And he went on, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him, for evil designs come out of the heart: theft, murder, adultery, jealousy, greed, maliciousness, deceit, indecency, slander, pride and folly. All these evil things come from within and make a person unclean.”

Reflections
WHAT COMES OUT FROM WITHIN
IS WHAT DEFILES A PERSON
There is another Scripture passage that means the same thing: OUT OF THE FULLNESS OF THE HEART, THE MOUTH SPEAKS. It is important for us to develop an inner freedom that enables us to do and to say what we think is right and not be affected by the reactions of people. Again it is from Jesus that we learn that nothing they say can add or subtract one cubit to our personhood. What we have to pay attention to is what we utter, because words can wound, words can kill. And it also shows what kind of person we are. Remember the story of how a wise person asked someone to go up a tower and there throw down a basket of feathers. Then he asked the person to gather all the feathers which of course is impossible. That is a graphic description of how the words we utter cannot be taken back. Lord, help us to
keep watch over our tongue.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2018