Mark 7:14-23

1 Kings 10:1-10

Psalm 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40

Mark 7:14-23

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.”

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?”

(Thus he declared all foods clean.)

“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.

From within the man, from his heart,

come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,

adultery, greed, malice, deceit,

licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.

All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are the source of all wisdom. Only in you can I truly be wise and judge the things of this world properly. Grant me the gift of your wisdom. Give me a docile heart attentive to the promptings of your Holy Spirit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba: As we read the First Book of Kings, things seem to be going well for Solomon. His reign has been very successful. He built the Temple and now neighboring people, like the Queen of Sheba, are flocking to him to see what he has accomplished and to hear his wisdom. The First Reading tells us that Solomon could explain everything to her and that the queen was somewhat overwhelmed by it all. At the end of their meeting, she praises the God of Israel and prays that Solomon may continue his reign in justice and righteousness.

2. The Wisdom of Solomon: There are four books in the Old Testament that try to encapsulate the wisdom of Solomon. The first is the Book of Proverbs. It offers general moral instruction on how to live and often contrasts the way of the foolish with the way of the wise. The way of the foolish and prideful leads to wickedness and death, while the way of the wise and humble leads to righteousness and life. The second book, the Book of Ecclesiastes, is the most philosophical. It contemplates the difficult question of the meaning of life, especially if death is our ultimate destiny. It makes us reflect on questions like: What is the point of being good if everything comes to an end in the grave? Why do the unjust seem to flourish in this life while the righteous and just suffer and endure persecution? The third book, the Song of Solomon, is a parable about the love that unites a royal bridegroom and his bride. It is an image of the love God has for us, his bride. The fourth book, the Wisdom of Solomon, answers the questions of Ecclesiastes and holds that the unrighteous will be punished but the righteous will enjoy life with God after death (Wisdom 3:1-9).

3. The New Law of Jesus: After his discussion with the scribes and Pharisees about human traditions and after judging them guilty of hypocrisy, Jesus now teaches the crowd the same lesson through a parable that he will later explain to his disciples. He teaches that the food we eat cannot defile us or make us unclean. This teaching of Jesus alters a large part of the Law of Moses, which prohibited eating many things like shellfish and pork. The food prohibitions of the Old Law of Moses were given for many reasons. They were given for health reasons, to separate Israel from the influence of pagan nations, and as a penance. They also symbolized the need to separate oneself from what is impure and unclean. In declaring all foods clean, Jesus brings the Old Law to fulfillment. In the New Covenant, the protective separation of Israel from the other nations was removed. As well, we are taught by Jesus that uncleanness comes from within, from the depths of our hearts, and is manifested in our sinful words and actions. Just as Israel, according to the Old Law of Moses, separated itself from certain foods, we are called, according to the New Law of Jesus, to separate ourselves from evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, and folly.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for bringing the Old Law to fulfillment and declaring all foods clean! Help me to judge the things of this world rightly. Help me to see things through your eyes and with a heart like yours.

Resolution: We can separate ourselves from sin, not through our strength alone, but through our cooperation with divine grace. We need to take a deep look at our hearts in prayer. This is our place of encounter with God. What do we find there? The thirteen evils mentioned by Jesus today? Or the twelve fruits of the Spirit – charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity? (CCC, 1832).