From: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
The Tradition of the Elders
What Defiles a Man
[21] For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft,
murder, adultery, [22] coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slan-
der, pride, foolishness. [23] All these evil things come from within, and they defile
a man.
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Commentary:
1-2. Hands were washed not for reasons of hygiene or good manners but be-
cause the custom had religious significance: it was a rite of purification. In Exo-
dus 30:17ff the Law of God laid down how priests should wash before offering
sacrifice. Jewish tradition had extended this to all Jews before every meal, in an
effort to give meals a religious significance, which was reflected in the blessings
which marked the start of meals. Ritual purification was a symbol of the moral
purity a person should have when approaching God (Psalm 24:3ff; 51:4 and 9);
but the Pharisees had focused on the mere external rite. Therefore Jesus re-
stores the genuine meaning of these precepts of the Law, whose purpose is to
teach the right way to render homage to God (cf. John 4:24).
3-5. We can see clearly from this text that very many of those to whom St.
Mark’s Gospel was first addressed were Christians who had been pagans and
were unfamiliar with Jewish customs. The Evangelist explains these customs in
some detail, to help them realize the significance of the events and teachings re-
ported in the Gospel story.
Similarly, Sacred Scripture needs to be preached and taught in a way which
puts it within reach of its hearers. This is why Vatican II teaches that “it is for the
bishops suitable to instruct the faithful [...] by giving them translations of the sa-
cred texts which are equipped with necessary and really adequate explanations.
Thus the children of the Church can familiarize themselves safely and profitably
with the Sacred Scriptures, and become steeped in their spirit” (”Dei Verbum”,
25).
15. Some important codices add here: “If any man has ears to hear, let him
hear,” which would form verse 16.
20-23. “In order to help us understand divine things, Scripture uses the expres-
sion ‘heart’ in its full meaning, as the summary and source, expression and ulti-
mate basis, of one’s thoughts, words and actions” (St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Pas-
sing By”, 164).
The goodness or malice, the moral quality, of our actions does not depend on
their spontaneous, instinctive character. The Lord Himself tells us that sinful ac-
tions can come from the human heart.
We can understand how this can happen if we realize that, after original sin, man
“was changed for the worse” in both body and soul and was, therefore, prone to
evil (cf. Council of Trent, “De Peccato Originali”). Our Lord here restores morality
in all its purity and intensity.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States
First reading | Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 14:2-5 © |
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Second reading | James 1:17-18,21-22,27 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | cf.Jn6:63,68 |
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Or | James1:18 |
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Gospel | Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23 © |
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