THE WORD
Rom 1: 16–25 / Lk 11: 37–41
After Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee invited him to dine at his home. He entered and reclined at table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not observe the prescribed washing before the meal. The Lord said to him, “Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
IN OTHER WORDS
I recently went to the reception of a friend’s wedding, and we were treated to a six-course formal banquet. There were a lot of utensils on the table, but a rule of thumb for these affairs would be to start using the spoons and forks from the outside in. As the meal progressed, I could not help but recall the Middle Eastern adage that states: “What does a man want of a spoon when God has given him so many fingers?”
When we sit down for meals, there are times na mas masarap magkamay habang kumakain (it is better to eat with bare hands). During the time of Jesus, instead of using spoons and forks, people would also eat with their hands. As prescribed by the Jewish laws of hygiene, it is important to wash and clean the hands before sitting down for a meal. We clean our hands, washing away dirt and grime before eating, whether at a formal dinner with a variety of cutlery, or at the beach with family and friends. This is for our benefit, and for those we sit down to eat with.
It may appear that Jesus was bypassing the rules, but Luke’s account was written for the Gentile readers who may not be familiar with the Jewish culture. The evangelist here tries to make sure that not only is the outside appearance clean, but the inside disposition is clean also.
If we merely follow rules and regulations, we might lose the real essence of what we do and just comply with the requirements. Outside appearance is important, but it is the inside disposition that is necessary. Jesus challenges us to go beyond what can be seen, and find out how it must be truly applied within: to be clean not only in our external appearance, but also in our internal disposition, as we follow the rules and truly worship the Almighty.
- John Ferdinand Cruz, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)
The Word in other words 2015
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
