Christian Faith – A Healing Mission!

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dt 4:1-2, 6-8; Jas 1:17-18, 21-22, 27; Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

The twenty-second Sunday invites us to reflect on Christianity as a healing mission in the name of God. 

The first reading shows Moses to be the preeminent teacher of God’s laws. For Israelites, taking possession of the land depends on their faithful observance of divine laws. Thus, while the divine laws are absolutely binding, a faithful observance of such laws is to be Israel’s wisdom and discernment. This foundational event, such as Moses’ instruction on God’s laws, became a national memory for the Israelite community. By their obedience to the laws and fidelity to God, the chosen people will not only showcase their wisdom but will also glorify the Lord who (trans-)formed the insignificant community into a great nation. In sum, the goodness and faithfulness of the Israelite community will be proportionate to their love of God’s precepts and practice of them. 

The second reading from the letter of St. James emphasizes the importance of God’s word, which not only caused the first creation but will also renew it. For James, the spiritual renewal will also result from the faithful observance of God’s laws, which are, in fact, laws of love. Here, he does not forget to comment on the genuine religion. Hence, he underlines those characteristics that will make our religion meaningful. For James, the faithful are those who practice the religion in word and deed. 

The Gospel presents a controversy brought against the disciples of Jesus regarding ritual washing before eating. Hence, the issue is not about hygiene but about the observance of ritual laws of eating. The Pharisees and scribes developed a notion of traditions in which the great teachers of Israel formed a chain back to Moses, the lawgiver himself. As such, citing their lineage to Moses, in the name of making the laws concrete and practical, they began to substitute human teachings for divine commandments. Their interpretations were often so misleading that while they found their escape routes in their interpretations of the law, they made it a burden for ordinary people. Hence, Jesus condemns their hypocritical lifestyle, which only paid ‘lip service’ to God when in fact they were distanced from Him. We can see that the approach of Jesus aims at reclaiming the genuine religion from the clutches of those who constructed a false religion.

The radical approach of Jesus revolves around three distinctions.  

Law of Love vs. Love of Law: When God’s laws were meant to liberate people and help them live in freedom, the Pharisees and scribes enslaved people in the name of God. If divine intention was about the spirit of the law, the religious leaders only held on to its letter. 

God vs. Human Precepts: If disobeying the precepts of God is one thing, presenting human teachings as divine precepts is another. Thus, the divine instruction for charity was replaced by an excessive concern for self-glory. 

Heart Vs. Body: In his instruction, Jesus notes that the cleverness of the Pharisees and scribes has turned the body into the locus of human morality. But Jesus reestablishes the fact that the heart, not the body, is the locus of Christian morality. 

A right understanding of religion demands that we announce it as a healing program for the world. How can we reimagine Christianity following the footsteps of Jesus? 

Religion: The purpose of Christianity is to promote harmony in the world. For this reason, Jesus wants us to be peacemakers. We are not true to the teachings of Jesus if we fail to liberate people in the name of Christianity.  

Humanity: Humanity is the essence of Christianity. Following Jesus would be a contradiction if we fail to imbibe his teachings on establishing humanity and acting on them. Establishing humanity is an integral part of our Christian vocation, and it should be done both within and outside the family. 

Action: The outcome of practicing Christianity is charitable action. As Christians, we are called to be doers of religion, not just hearers. In this regard, our reflection on acting out what we profess is key. How can we make the tenets of Christian faith into an actionable program? 

Christian solidarity with the marginalized, charity for the needy, and just action on behalf of the oppressed are wonderful ways of announcing the Gospel in contemporary times. 

Let us pray that, walking in the footsteps of Jesus, we may turn Christianity into a healing mission!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar