August 28, 2021
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I heard a funny story. A couple moved into a new neighborhood. The wife looked out the window and saw the neighbor hanging laundry and commented to her husband, "That laundry isn't very clean." The husband took a look but said nothing. For months, each time the neighbor hung her laundry the woman commented on how dirty it was. One day, however, she looked out and saw clean laundry hanging. She said, "Look, our neighbor finally learned how to do the laundry." Her husband said, "Nope. I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows." (Readers Digest)
Funny how quick we are to see what we believe are faults in others but cannot see our own. That is exactly what is happening in today's Gospel. The Pharisees are finding fault in Jesus. They tell him he is doing wrong by allowing his disciples to eat without washing their hands. But they didn't see that they themselves had abandoned God and were mistreating the people they were supposed to be helping.
Now, back to the handwashing for a moment. It didn't sound consistent that Jesus' disciples would be sort of dirty people who didn't wash. So, I looked further. And according to the commentaries, the disciples probably did wash. The Pharisees complaint was that they were not performing a "ritualistic washing." This would require that water be poured first on the right hand with a certain measure of water and then on the left and repeated a second time. This was to be done even if you had just finished washing your hands!
Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites! Because they are criticizing his disciples for little things while they themselves ignore God and treat people poorly. He tells them, and us, that if we are interested in being "clean," our own hearts are where we should first look. Evil thoughts, murder, arrogance, adultery, and envy found in our hearts are what contaminate and make us ill.
Now since this Gospel reading is alive today and intended for us, I want to know how not to be a hypocrite. So I want to know, what is God's work that you and I are to be doing? St. James in the second reading tells us. He says that we are to be "caring for the widows and orphans in their difficulties." Not just talking about it or doing only the visible and easy part. According to St. James, looking after the widows and orphans is the very definition of religion! It must become the very definition of you and I!
Let us look inside ourselves first, then wash our windows so we see the full beauty of those around us. Amen.
God's Peace,
Deacon Dave