Honour God's commandment

Gospel
Mark 7:1-13
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.

When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:

This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”’ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”

Reflection
In this reading i pick the word tradition. Since our ancestors time we have tradition which is not in line with God and make life difficult for people. I remember attending a wake prayer and the prayer leader insist everyone tie a black string to protect from the evil one. I was very uncomfortable with the arrangement. God in his commandment said we shall only honour God. Christ enhanced that by saying thy shall love thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy heart as you love your neighbor as thyself. From there we knowGod's commandment is love and not making life difficult for people.

Let us pray
Lord Jesus help us always to love you and our neighbour as required by your commandment.
Amen

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