My week at Pinecrest
- Campers/staff/faculty
- Germs everywhere
- Camp Nurse – Purell
- Handwashing – but still came home w/ a cold
Other factors at work – not enough sleep, too much junk food, etc.
Washing my hands didn't take care of everything; doesn't prevent something that's inside of us from making us sick
That's what's at issue in our gospel
Mark 6 – Jesus feeding 5000, walking on water, healing everyone
Pharisees come along & all they see is that disciples don't wash their hands
Miss the miraculous things Jesus is doing (healing, feeding, teaching) & focus on minutia – the detail that they aren't following the religious rules
Handwashing here is not about hygiene, but about identity
– a way to say who you are
& the relationship you have w/ God
– people can look at that & know what/who you are (me & Jewish man in Costco – me w/ collar, him w/ yarmulke)
But in trying to protect relationship w/ God (theirs & others), they missed the bigger point
Thought they could legislate a relationship with God,
that by following all the rules it would keep their relationship w/ God healthy
But other factors at work
honor God w/ their lips, but their hearts are far from God
– washing your hands doesn't clean your heart
Following all the rules doesn't protect you from what's already inside that's making you sick!
Jesus reminds us that it's not what goes in that defiles us,
that keeps us separated from God & each other
– it's what comes out that does that!
It's what's already inside of us that's making us sick
It's from within, from the human heart that evil intentions come (vs. 21-23)
The sin that is within us, try as we may to keep our hands clean
No matter how good we look on the outside,
no matter how professional we are at following the rules (whatever we perceive them to be) – that sin is already there
And we can fool ourselves into thinking we've got it under control by washing our hands
– but it's there!
Washing our hands does not clean our hearts
& it's our hearts that keep us from being who God made us to be,
from having the relationship w/ God we were created to have
And that's where Jesus leaves it in the gospel
So I'm turning to our other reading, from James, who says this: vs. 18 & 21
18: In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth,
so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures
21: Therefore rid yourself of all sordidness & rank growth of wickedness,
and welcome with meekness the implanted word
that has the power to save your souls
Welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls!
The implanted word-
God has already given us this word, the word that gives us new birth, a new life
Not just the words written on the pages of this book (the Bible),
not just the word of the law
But the LIVING Word – Jesus!
The Word who was in the beginning,
the Word who was with God,
the Word who is God,
The Word who became flesh and lived among us!
This Word, this Jesus, lives within us;
this is the Word James invites us to welcome with meekness,
to receive him and all he has to offer
He is the word of Truth who sees into our hearts,
who sees all that is within us, the good, the bad, & the ugly,
who loves us too much to abandon us to the evil intentions of our hearts,
all of the things that keep us from loving God with all that we are
He has the power to save us from ourselves
He has set about the work of cleaning us up from the inside out,
of washing not only our hands, but our hearts
Transforming us, not with rules and rituals
but with his redeeming love.
Not with punishment for our imperfections
but with mercy.
Not with an accusing finger,
but the warm embrace of his forgiving grace.
We can't clean our hearts up on our own,
but Jesus can.
And he will give us not only clean hands, but a pure heart.
Offering Song –
Create in me a clean heart,O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
That's what Jesus does.
Welcome with meekness the Word already implanted within you,
let him create a clean heart in you,
let him clean you from the inside out.
Amen.
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