You hypocrites

These two words are found at the center of this Sunday’s Gospel Lesson Mark 7:1-13, specifically, at the center of verse 6. Jesus used these words to describe representatives of the leadership of God’s chosen people. These words from the lips of the Son of God were hash words of judgment and condemnation. The text confirms that Jesus’ verdict was right and justified.

The term hypocrite has two meanings: (1) a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion; (2) a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. Jesus accused the Jewish leaders before him of both.

The Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, described ritual washings that were prescribed in response to contamination caused by contact with unclean persons or objects. However, nowhere in Holy Scriptures did God require that His people routinely wash their hands or utensils as a matter of law. Jesus declared that the rules concocted by the religious leaders regarding washing were a mere human invention. A ritual washing undertaken outside the Jewish law accomplished absolutely nothing with respect to the relationship of the one washing their hands and the living God. These washings were designed to look like the legally prescribed washings and thus make the one washing themselves look religious, virtuous, and pious.

Jesus most biting indictment of the religious elite before him was their sin of aiding and abetting the people under their care to violate God’s Commandments under the pretext of a moral right or moral high ground. Jesus uses the term “Corban.” The term “Corban” is a Hebrew word transliterated into the Greek of the New Testament and yet left untranslated. It occurs only once in Mark 7:11. It is defined as a gift or offering consecrated to God. When the word “Corban” was pronounced over a piece of property or obligation, that property or obligation was irrevocably dedicated to the Temple. This word was sometime terribly misused. By way of example. If a creditor came to a debtor to collect a debt, and the debtor was reluctant to repay the debt, even for a legitimate reason, the creditor force debtor hand by declaring the debt “Corban.” The debtor now had to pay the debt to the priests at Temple. The religious authorities even allowed adult children to refuse to care for their elderly or ailing parents by declaring as “Corban” the property that would be used to help their parents. There was no time by which the property declared Corban had to be turned over to the Temple. The adult child could keep the property for their selfish use for a long time.

Jesus condemned the Pharisees for this false doctrine. The Torah plainly called children to honor their fathers and mothers (Exodus 20:12). Exodus 21:17 declares: “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” The act of depriving a parent of material help is more than a curse. It is the withdrawal of life-giving support. The rules concocted by the religious elite permitted a Jew to break the fourth commandment with impunity and justified the breach of the commandment by declaring the property in question belonged to God.

How monstrous! This is inconceivable. Yet, this is exactly what the religious establishment in Jesus day accomplished. This is precisely the response Jesus meant to evoke that day and this very day. His word was meant to cut the religious elite before him to the quick. He wanted them to be hurt by what he said. He wanted to drive them to search their hearts, minds and souls and see the error of their ways. He wanted them to see how far they were from God. He wanted them to turn to God and want to walk with God. He wanted them to see that if they walked with Jesus, they would be walking with God.

Jesus’ most passionate desire for each and every one of us to be cut to the quick by these words. They were not only meant for the religious elite of his day. They are meant for his Church. They are meant for each one of us. The religious leaders of Jesus day believed they were privileged. They had a right and even a duty to make these rules and to force their compliance. Leaders in the Church and each Christian is prey to those very same beliefs. The history of the Church is replete with examples. Jesus desire is to show us how and when we put on a false appearance of virtue or religion and when we act in contradiction to the Word of God. Like King David, we should pray: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24).

13th Sunday After Pentecost