Sunday, September 1, 2024

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
Psalm 119:129-136
Ephesians 6:10-20
Mark 7:14-23

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

The first verse of today’s Old Testament passage uses two legal words to describe the Word of God. In this version, the World English Bible, the words are “statutes” and “ordinances.” If you read other versions, you will find words such as “rules,” “decrees,” “laws,” “regulations,” and “teachings.” We see the same phenomenon in Psalm 119, where so many of these law words seem to be used interchangeably. For example, NIV translates this passage from Deuteronomy translates it as “the decrees and laws.” The New Living Translation uses “these laws and regulations.” It seems, as we read, that the speaker is simply repeating himself for the sake of making a point. “Pay attention, I'm telling you something important.”

John Wesley wrote in his notes on this text: “The statutes - The laws which concern the worship and service of God. The judgments - The laws concerning your duties to men. So these two comprehend both tablets, and the whole law of God.” Wesley saw this repetition as not only an emphasis but also as defining the aspects of the rules we are to follow, rules that demonstrate love of God and love of man. We can find a similar division in the Ten Commandments; the two tables show laws that concern our relationship with God and our relationships with one another.

We are called to obedience to the whole Law, not just the parts that we want to obey. Obedience is not simply a knowledge of the laws, for many can recite the Commandments as they learned them in Sunday School. It is an active obedience in which one does what is right according to the intent of the Law. In Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, the explanation of the Ten Commandments contains not only the directive to not do the things that are wrong, but to also do what is right. Most of us can easily say we have not killed our neighbor, but have we done everything we can to ensure that he or she has life? We may not physically take our neighbors’ things, but do we do everything we can to help our neighbor keep what is theirs?

Why keep the statutes and ordinances of God? This passage suggests that if we keep the laws of God, the nations will see us as wise. God’s rules were not established as a way to keep the people down like so many human regulations. God’s Law was designed to lift His people and the nation. The statutes and ordinances were given to guard and protect the people of God, to make them and keep them whole. Our relationship with God and our relationships with one another are vital to our wholeness.

The laws are good, right and true. God’s Law, His Word, is complete just as it was given. There are no laws of any country that are more perfect, or more righteous, or more just than the laws of God. In these statutes and ordinances are found true wisdom. We should not think ourselves wiser than God to add to or take away from what He has given. All too many of us think that if we do all that is right according to the statutes, we can ignore a part of the ordinances. For example, we think that if we do all that is required to worship God, we can tell a little white lie or take something that is not ours. At other times, we add to His Word by justifying our actions that are against His ordinances. Yet, God calls us to live according to His Law completely, just as it was given.

I have a picture of my son when he was a little bit over a year old. We were living in California at the time, and we had some potted plants on our patio. He was outside playing; I was busy just inside the patio door. He decided it would be fun to play in the dirt. It was springtime and the plant had been recently potted with fresh potting soil. He didn’t have long; I was constantly checking on him while I worked nearby. Yet in minutes he’d managed to get himself covered in fresh dirt from head to toe. His face looked like he’d been eating Oreo cookies and most of the cookie missed his mouth. I don’t know how much he ingested, but he’s no worse for the wear. As some wise mother once said, “A little dirt never hurt anyone.”

I couldn’t help but laugh and I grabbed the camera. He was teething at the time, so every part of him was covered in drool. This made the dirt stick to his body even more. Every parent has a similar picture of their children from that age, though the child might be covered with the icing from the first birthday cake or a plate full of spaghetti. These pictures show that more food ended up on the child than in his or her mouth. Other photos come when they go a little overboard with the fingerpaints at school or egg dye at Easter.

I was a little annoyed to have to clean my son after his playtime in the dirt, or the many times he was covered with food. The problem is that the mess is rarely confined to the skin which can easily be cleaned, but the clothes, furniture, floor and sometimes even the walls are covered in the mess. Yet, despite my annoyance, I still giggle about that moment, remembering as we look at the photo how cute he looked covered in dirt. Every parent is happy those photos for those moments our children most wish to not be embarrassed, like when they bring that special friend home to meet the parents.

Sometimes we are able to get the stains out of the clothes, sometimes we can’t. What matters most, however, is that we are able to get their bodies clean. Of course, some stains take a little longer than others, like those left by markers or ink pads. Yet even then it only takes a day or so for the body to return to normal. Except for the pictures, the incident is forgotten as soon as all the mess is gone. Nothing is changed by a brief roll in the dirt or a few handfuls of birthday cake in the hair. Some things are worth remembering. Some things are worth forgetting. We need to remember some things for the sake of our future.

In 1905, George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In a 1948 speech to the House of Commons, Churchill paraphrased Santayana when he said, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” We’ve heard similar quotes from many others over time, but they weren’t the first. In today’s Old Testament lesson, Moses warned Israel to remember what they saw so that they would remain faithful to the God who saved them from slavery.

Unfortunately, we easily forget history. We certainly don’t learn from it. We’ve seen it happen over and over again. As we study the history of Israel, we can see that they forgot God’s grace. Though there were good kings over the ages, their sons and grandsons often turned to the gods of the world, ignoring the God who is their true King. Over and over again the chroniclers say, “He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.” Where the kings go, so go the people. And if the king forgets history, the people will follow him into folly.

Moses wrote, “Only be careful, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your children and your children’s children.” We are to hold fast the knowledge we have about God and His laws, and we are to teach them to our children. It is not only the rules we should remember and hold dear to our hearts, but rather it is the story of God and His relationship with His people that will keep us well. God does not love us because we have obeyed His statutes and ordinances. God loved. He showed His love in many ways and then He called His people to live in that love. He gave the rules to keep His people in that love. We obey to stay in the gift, and we teach our children so that they too will remain in God’s loving care.

We are reminded by the history of God’s people that He disciplined His sons and daughters whenever they did not obey His Word. Though we live under a New Covenant, forgiven by grace and loved without condition, we are also disciplined by our Father. We suffer the consequences of our disobedience, but God loves us with mercy and faithfulness. He calls us to a life of obedience as His children, saved by grace to honor Him before the world.

Psalm 119 uses those same words as found in the text from Deuteronomy, along with six other words. It seems redundant as we read this text in English, and we struggle with the focus on the Law. Yet each of these words have a unique meaning. While statutes and ordinances give us a full range of laws about our relationships with God and mankind, the rest of the words fill out the idea of God’s Word, showing us that God’s Law is more than rules; it is also promise and justice and guidance.

In today’s stanza, the psalmist longs to obey God’s word because he is thankful for God’s faithfulness. Here is my own paraphrase of these eight verses. “The testimony of God is wonderful, so I treasure it in my soul. As your word is spoken, it brings light and helps us understand. I anxiously desire all God’s law. Have mercy on me according to your justice. Guide me according to your promise so that I won’t sin. Save me from oppression so I can live according to your appointed authority. Make your face shine on me, teach me how to worship you. I grieve that they do not know your teaching.”

I grieve because too many today do not know God. Many think they do, but they misunderstand the reality of God’s love. Love is not a free-for-all; love demands obedience because Love has given us the best path to walk for our own sakes and for His. To continue to sin means disrespecting the grace that has been gifted to us and we’ll find ourselves being disciplined. This discipline is not meant to punish, but our Father allows the consequences of our sin to bring us back to the way He would have us live.

Today’s Gospel text focuses on the laws as they were understood in the religious community during Jesus’ day. They expected the people to live according to a set of rules that were more about tradition than God’s Law. There are some communities that are closed to outsiders, which is what had happened to the Jews in that time. There were rules that went against the ways of their neighbors, rules designed to set them apart. Some came from God, not to separate them, but because they were what was best for them. There are still closed communities today, each with rules that set them apart. Some folk live in gated housing communities, others belong to fraternities. Some people work in businesses that are very tightly knit, which makes it hard for an outsider to get their foot in the door. Small towns can be closed communities. Churches can even be closed communities.

However, that’s not the way the Church is meant to exist. I recently heard someone say that Jesus made access to God available to all people, not just those who fit into the community established in the scriptures. He didn’t come to abolish the Law but opened the way for all of us to live according to His Word. He reminded the people that obedience to God’s law did not give them access to God. Faith gave access to God and that access gives us the freedom to live within the healthy boundaries He has established. Like all communities, especially the ones that are closed to outsiders, we like to create new rules, adding to those God gave us, to keep them out. We make it too difficult for people to be part of our community, just like those Pharisees who refused to eat with outsiders and who were offended by dirty hands.

There is no doubt that handwashing is a valuable practice for our health. We pass so many germs between one another when we shake hands, pass money, or handle food. Florence Nightingale changed the nature of health care with the simple practice of washing hands regularly, and the practice is continued today. Jesus wasn’t telling us in today’s lesson that we should not wash our hands.

I wonder what the conversation might have been like if the Pharisees had asked a slightly different question. They asked, “Why don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?” What if they had asked, “Why do your disciples eat their bread with defiled hands against the Word of God?” God gave the law about cleanliness for a purpose; it is healthy and sanitary to cleanse the hands before eating. However, the Pharisees were more concerned about the disciples obeying the traditions as they did, rather than keeping the Word of God.

Jesus answered their question with a statement about how they hold their tradition above the Law. Moses gave them the Law that says “Honor your mother and your father” but they were willing to accept a vow that would dishonor that authority. The vow, that everything belonged to God, was not lived out as if everything actually belonged to God, but rather was a convenient excuse not to take care of one’s mother and father. The tradition was held above the Law to honor parents and was abused and misused by justifying dishonorable and unfaithful practice. The Pharisees really did not care whether or not the hands were dirty, only that the people who claimed to be “holy” fit into their mold. Jesus turned the tables. He answered their questions with the intent of God’s Law and opened the door for more people to dwell in the presence of God.

They lifted the traditions of the elders above the Word of God and created barriers that God never intended. They saw anyone who did not live up to their expectations as people who could not enter into the temple of God. However, Jesus ripped down those curtains and invited those who believe to enter into God’s presence. He enlarged the borders of God’s kingdom rather than building the walls of exclusivity. He gave us the freedom to live in obedience to the Law of God without being bound to the laws of men.

There is a lot of law talk in today’s passages. Deuteronomy is, of course, a book of laws. In it we see God teaching them to live in their new world. They were going to face tough times; the world would constantly try to turn them from Him. The rituals and practices were given as a way to stay focused on the life He meant for them in the Promised Land, to help them avoid falling into the traps of pagan worship. They were also given to make Israel stand out from the rest of the nations. They were set apart for a purpose, to be God’s people and through which God would send His salvation.

Non-believers like to trot out the old rules to prove that Christians are hypocrites and foolish. After all, some of the rules from the Old Testament seem ridiculous to those of us today and we don’t follow some of them. Take pork, for instance. We eat pork; most of us do, anyway. Bacon makes everything better, doesn’t it? We wear mixed blends of fabric. We cross breed animals. People get tattoos (and for some in ministry, it is even considered “cool.”) These are just a few examples of ways we no longer live by the laws according to the scriptures. Those non-believers point out our hypocrisy of ignoring these rules but demanding obedience from others.

We live in a New Testament perspective and understand that certain rules found in the scriptures that were culturally important. We also know that God gave those rules to help us live well. We don’t reject pork, mixed fabrics, mules, or tattoos, but we do respect the rules because we know God had our best interests in mind when He gave them. Pork can be dangerous because pigs are garbage collectors and eat foods that with disease that can ultimately harm our bodies. Modern refrigeration and production make those food stuffs not only delicious, but also safe to eat. We still must be careful because those meats improperly stored and cooked can make us sick, but we have the knowledge to do it well today. Mixing linen and wool is not recommended because the fabrics are so different that the garment would not last. Heavy wool can rip the much more delicate linen. While we have developed good production methods for mixing blends that last, we also know that pure cotton has a much better quality than that which is mixed.

The problem with the argument that we are hypocrites because we eat bacon and wear cotton/polyester blends is that there is a misunderstanding about the Law and the laws. It is, in a sense, like talking about apples and oranges: both are good for you, but they serve different purposes. The laws were given to protect God’s people; the Law was given so that God’s people would look to Him.

As Christians we know and understand that the Law has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In today’s Gospel, Jesus was teaching the people that they had become so caught up in following the rules that they lost the intent of God’s Word. Jesus told the crowds that it isn’t what goes into the mouth that makes a man unclean, but what comes out of the mouth. Faithfulness is not dependent on the menu, but on the thoughts, ideas, and practices of our hearts. When we are questioned about our bacon cheeseburgers, we can point to Jesus’ own words. Some manuscripts even include an explanation of what Jesus meant: “This he said, making all meats clean.” We should still be careful about the foods we eat, but we need not worry that what goes into our mouths will harm our relationship with God.

Does it matter if we eat bacon or wear cotton/polyester blends? Not really. We need not live in the past. What matters to our life in Christ is that we live according to the Word of God in a way that glorifies Him and shines His light to others. This is why it is important to remember Moses’ words in today’s Old Testament passage. God’s people repeatedly forgot their history and suffered the consequences of disobedience to His Word. We have been given the story of Israel to learn the lessons that keep us on the right path of life in God’s kingdom.

The Law is a gift. It was never meant to be a burden; God gave the Law for a purpose. He is glorified by our obedience because the world sees how much better life is when we live rightly. The Babylonians saw that Daniel and his friends were healthier than those who ate the food of the palace. Israel was a great nation not because they deserved fame and success, but because they were chosen to manifest God’s plan for the world.

Our obedience glorifies God.

God calls us to live our best life. If that means avoiding food that can harm us, then we should avoid those foods. If it means being good stewards of our resources by buying the best quality clothing, then we should do that. If it means avoiding situations that might cause us to sin, then we had best avoid those situations. As children of God, we are meant to be a light in the darkness and the voices that invite people to hear God’s Word of salvation.

God calls us to be obedient, but not in the manner of the Pharisees who lift man’s laws and traditions above His Word. He calls us to faith, that we might dwell in Christ who is the tabernacle of God that dwelt amongst His people. We are saved to be the kind of people who not only know the statutes and ordinances, but also live His Law fully. We are called to be people who do not add to the word or take away from it, who take care of those in need and who live a life that is good, right, and true according to God’s word.

What kind of world would it be if more people responded to God’s grace with lives by honoring Him with obedience? The psalmist encourages us to grieve for those that do not know God’s teaching and we are invited to go out into the world to speak Gods’ Word so that they might hear and believe.

It is good to remember our past so that we won’t repeat it. Israel was commanded to teach their children and their children’s children about all God did for them. We should study the rules that have been given in the scriptures, to make sure we are living the best life that God intends for us. Unfortunately, the world will constantly try to get us to turn from our God. Satan will even use God’s Word and the traditions of the elders to try to convince us that there is a better way. He’ll give us ways to justify our actions. He will make self-righteousness seem to be godly, but if we aren’t careful, he will twist God’s word in a way that will make us turn from God.

Paul helps us by teaching us how to keep our hearts and minds on Jesus. The armor of God provides us with everything we need to stand against that which aims to turn us against Him. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, Word, prayer, and perseverance are the guardians of our relationship with Him. As we dwell in those gifts, God’s blessings will flow out of our lives into the world, taking the salvation He promised to all those who hear so that they, too, might live the life God intends for them.

Jesus opened the door so that we can have a place in God’s Kingdom. It will be hard; we will be tempted to follow the rules of this world, ignoring the statutes and ordinances given that we might live our best life. The life of obedience was never meant to be a struggle; it gives us the freedom to be who God has created, redeemed, and called us to be. In this way we glorify Him, acting as witnesses to His grace, and through us God will make His Word known to all the world so that they, too, might be saved.