Saturday 22 October 2022

Psalm 91

Background

Jesus turns his attention away from the religious leaders, Pharisees and scribes, towards the crowd of people gathered around him, and speaks to this wider audience about the relative importance and interpretation of the religious law. He is talking about whether it defiles someone if they eat without first washing their hands. The cleaning rituals and associated requirements would be part of day-to-day experience for all those listening to him, and so to challenge this basic practice as he does would have been quite unusual, and even jaw-dropping for some. This is evident in the way the disciples say what most will have been thinking, “Do you know the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said?” (v.12) Jesus has been criticising and questioning important and respected people, and many would fear the consequences.

Jesus replies with a cryptic illustration, for which Peter, again on behalf of others, seeks clarification. Jesus then couldn’t be clearer, with explicit reference to bodily functions that two millennia later we still often feel embarrassed to talk about. He is though also speaking about something which is all too topical in our modern age: the destructive impact the words from our mouth, or today from our keyboards and phones, can have on others. The religious leaders were narrowly focusing on cleaning rituals, but Jesus says the priority should be focusing on our words and actions, which all too often harm other people.

In an age of social media, where words, messages and images can be shared rapidly across the world, considering what we say and how we communicate and interact with one another is crucially important. It’s also an aspect of national politics that can bring individuals, groups and parties into disrepute. However, we cannot escape the impact of our own day-to-day interactions, and just as those listening would expect to maintain hygiene laws, so must we expect to consider our words and actions towards one another on a daily basis.

To Ponder:

• Have there been messages you have sent, or words spoken, which have caused offence to others? Consider ways you can avoid that happening in the future.
• Are there religious rituals in common practice today which you think “my Father has not planted” and therefore should be “uprooted” (v.13)?

Prayer

 As we reflect on the last few weeks of political turmoil, we pray that all those in political and public life may carefully consider their words and actions and the impact they have on others. We also pray that our own words and actions honour our faith. Amen.