Reflection, October 12, 2021:
It’s been a while now since I’ve last written a
reflection. I mean to often and then the
endless chores of the day, sudden interruptions or constant directional pulling
seem to pull me from that intent. Today,
however, a student here said that “I know you used to write things weekly, my parent’s
would read them. You haven’t done that
in a while huh...” Okay, so perhaps
Jesus is talking to me just as he did the Pharisee in today’s Gospel. If you listen, he may be saying something to
you as well. Regardless, I’ll take the
hint.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about cleanliness from
within. I have worked in many places and
have been fortunate to meet many great people both personally and
professionally during my career.
Likewise, I have met several Pharisee’s like the one Jesus is getting
ready to eat dinner with in today’s Gospel.
In Luke’s writing, Jesus reclines at table ready to eat and
of course, given the laws and custom of the time, the Pharisee begins to wash
in preparation for a meal. In seeing
that Christ did not do this, he looks at Jesus almost as if to say “who do you
think you are?”. Jesus, as he so often
has a knack for, says to the Pharisee – “Oh you Pharisees! Although you clean the outside of your cup
and dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil…Did not the maker of the
outside also make the inside?” The
statement Jesus makes to the Pharisee is just as relevant to us today as it was
to him 2,000 years ago. We have all
known of people, maybe even been one ourselves at times, who dress the outside
up while the inside is in need of some serious sprucing. As I read and explained this Gospel to my
kindergarten & 1st grade classes this morning during Morning
Prayer, I wondered what their little minds were thinking.
The short of it is, we can clean our “cup and dish” as much
as we want; we can say the right things, post the right things, drive the right
car, have the right house or family, or whatever…but if we are not treating
people, loving our neighbor as ourselves, it is all for show. How we care for others, talk about others, address
others and even, like the Pharisee, judge others shows either the same inside
filled with “plunder and evil” Jesus spoke of or, perhaps, shows the disciple
of Christ we should grow to be.
Often in our own attempt to do the right thing, we neglect
what is really important. The Pharisee
was amazed to see what Jesus was not doing (washing as the law required) and
Jesus called him to account for what the Pharisee was not doing (living as
Christ calls us to). Is it time for us
to be called into account for what we are not doing? Maybe the Pharisee’s story is our story too. Perhaps it is we who need to refocus on what
is actually important in this life, waiting for a word from Jesus who will show
us that we aren’t as great as we think we are if our actions don’t do that
first.
Mr. Swann – Principal