By the Rev. Elisabeth Shelton Hartwell
Revised Common Lectionary Reflection, Proper 17, Lectionary 22, Year B
September 1, 2024
Key Verse: Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” -Mark 7:14-15
Dear fellow preachers. Everyone knows it is a good idea to wash your hands before eating. Still, in our Gospel lesson it seems as though the Pharisees are taking things a bit too far and being real sticklers about this whole hand-washing thing. That is, of course, until we realize that the issue here is not hygiene. Rather, it’s about priorities in faith and what is important to God.
Central to our understanding is the word translated in v. 2 and elsewhere as “defile.” Strictly speaking, the original Greek word “koinos” does not refer so much to defiling or being unclean. Rather, it describes what is common and ordinary. At stake here is the Pharisees’ belief that food should be eaten with hands that have been sanctified and readied for the task of eating, so that mealtime becomes a religious observance.[1] But, says Jesus, the most significant part of living faith is not our observance of rituals but, rather, the ways faith shapes our character and enables us to live ethically. Order and doctrine exist to guide our faith, but we do not worship these things. Instead, they are useful only when they help us draw closer to God and the values God intends for us to live by.
This is a great text to explore as September begins, the programmatic year in church kicks off, and many of our congregants return to the routine that comes with fall. It causes us to ask how we can be good stewards of faith, the instruction we receive at church, and the rituals that sustain us in faith. Here are some questions we might explore in our sermons:
- How is our inner character being molded and expanded by our faith? How does our participation in worship prepare us for the other six days of the week and how do we live our faith once we have left the church building? Rather than gauging our religious devoutness by how many times we set foot in a sanctuary, we can ask how what we receive in worship is feeding us in our everyday lives.
- What matters to God and what should matter to us? Is it important how many church activities we are involved in if they are not helping our faith to grow and draw closer to God?
- What is at the heart of our own religious traditions? Why is it important to confess our sins or share communion or recite creeds? The elements of worship become truly significant when they impact our living and deepen our relationship with God and one another.
My fellow preachers, even as our preaching invites our congregants to examine their priorities in faith, our text can also help to deepen our own understanding of what we do as pastors. Why preach every Sunday? Why officiate the sacraments? Why lead our congregations in worship? At times, religion can become just as hollow and empty to us as it becomes to our congregants. But, when we step back and take time to reflect, we can understand why we do what we do, how it deepens our own relationship with God, and how it enables our own faith to grow. This text is as much for us as it is for our congregants.
In Worship
Invite congregants to explore the element (or elements) in worship that are most significant to them. What means the most to them in worship? Is it the sermon? The music? The ability to confess? The opportunity to share prayer concerns and recite the Lord’s Prayer? Encourage your congregants to consider what is most meaningful, how it has deepened their faith over time, and how it helps them to live their faith when they are not in worship.
Worship with Youth
Youth might very well find worship to be confusing and irrelevant. They might not understand why we do what we do and find it difficult to relate to. Rather than being discouraged by this, we can use it as an opportunity to teach about the various elements of worship. Sit with the youth in your congregation, walk through the worship service, have discussion about the different parts of worship, and then talk about what is meaningful to them.
Worship with Children
Talk with children about what it means to be beautiful on the inside. Some people are beautiful on the outside, and others do amazing things when it comes to being really good at sports or getting good grades. But what is most important is a person’s character, whether they are kind and help others. Share that what is most important to God is how we treat each other and love one another.
Here are previous reflections for Proper 17B, Lectionary 22B:
2018 – Loving and living God’s law
2015 – Let’s hear it for dirty disciples
2012 – Living the life, not the lie
[1] Douglas R. A. Hare, Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 4, eds. David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), 21, 23.
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