August 30, 2015 - Put God in Your Heart

The Rev. Charles Barebo

August 30, 2015 - Pentecost 14

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Put God in Your Heart

Today’s gospel switches from John and metaphors about bread to Mark. Mark’s story of Jesus is powerful and to the point. His gospel is believed to be the first gospel written down. This fall we’ll be hearing about the ongoing conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees from Mark. And how the disciples do not comprehend Christ’s methods or mission. To get the most out of Mark it is important to understand what makes the Pharisees tick, the group that Paul calls the strictest of the strict.

The ancient Israelites believed that God lived in the temple in Jerusalem. In Isaiah it tells us that when God was in the temple so much smoke filled the building that humans could not enter. The temple was where earth and heaven interlocked and one would go to be in God’s presence. Ancient Judaism was about the temple. At least until the second Exile when the Babylonians took Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.  Seventy years later the Persians took Babylon and allowed the Israelites to return home and rebuild the temple. Then in the second century the Syrians took Jerusalem and desecrated the temple. The desecrated temple and living under the pagan rule began to change the way that the Israelites looked at their faith.

By Christ’s time Jewish theology began to change. If you kept the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, it was as if you were in the Temple itself – that is the place where heaven and earth met. Regardless of whether pagans or corrupt Jews ruled and what when on in the temple, practicing the laws set forth in the Torah became where first century Israelites found God. The Pharisees were sticklers for the Torah.  Never numbering more than 6,000 in Palestine’s population of 2,500,000 they were nevertheless a force to be reckoned with. Knowing what makes the Pharisees tick is important in understanding Mark’s Gospel and the traps they set for Jesus.

Jesus’ message would have been seen as very subversive or revolutionary by the Pharisees.  When challenged about the Levitical cleanliness laws Jesus tells the Pharisees that these laws were never important, that the Pharisees gave God lip service but never accepted God in their hearts.  They had “abandoned the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”  Jesus, never one for political correctness, points out their sin for ignoring God while focusing on human traditions.

The disciples are not understanding Christ’s message.  After the exchange with the Pharisees they ask Jesus what the parable meant.  Jesus is clear, the real evil was not what we eat or how we wash or the things that come from the outside but rather things that come out of the heart like theft, murder, immorality, greed, wickedness, envy, slander and pride, these are the things that make us unclean. Then Jesus goes on to strike down the kosher food laws. Jesus is challenging the very rubrics of Jewish life. Jesus is always brutally honest. And this honesty will cost him his human life.

The Pharisees are still with us today. It seems so much easier to accept our politically correct rules of man-made tradition as opposed to accepting Jesus in our hearts. It’s not easy to be a disciple; in fact it seems almost impossible at times.  We can see the Pharisees in action everyday if we have our eyes open. In our leadership at local, state and national levels; where politicians tell us about change that is needed and then play party politics, ignoring the call to work together and compromise to fix our many ills. And both parties do it, all the time. When our mayors, congress men and women, state officials and candidates prattle on about state building or helping what we call the poor, while being investigated or charged with crimes we see the Pharisees at work. This is happening in Allentown, in Harrisburg and in DC at this very moment.

In our schools where we are more concerned with avoiding lawsuits than teaching wisdom, justice and mercy; Where we are more interested in correctness and a common core as opposed to teaching each and every child to the best of their abilities-the Pharisees are at work. Even in the church, we sometimes become so caught up that we forget that we are charged to love God and our neighbor. The farther we stray from the Great Command, Christ’s mission for His disciples, the closer we edge into the Pharisees camp. In fact, this can become our litmus test for our actions in the church. Does this further Christ’s mission? Does it love God, does it love our neighbor, and does it build the Kingdom? If it does we’ve let God into our heart.

I catch myself wandering into the Pharisees camp too often. Sometimes I hesitate before praying aloud in a restaurant – Correctness or Jesus? Or to express the core values we are taught in the church.  I push Jesus out of my heart and buy something I don’t need or worry about a market downturn becoming fearful and greedy. If I have faith market turndowns are a lot less scary. Too often my pride keeps me from turning the other cheek. Too often I buy a meal for a homeless person and then do not invite them to eat at my table or look the other way. It’s so easy to look down on the Pharisees when in fact I am acting like one myself. No it’s not easy living with Jesus in my heart. Too often, as St Paul remarks, I do exactly what I didn’t want to do – I get frustrated and angry with someone who really just needs a helping hand. Too often like the disciples I don’t really understand what it is Jesus is calling me to do. All this bubbles up from within. And later in the quiet moments, like Peter after denying Christ, I regret it.

In Mark’s Gospel today, Jesus calls us into the true relationship with the Father and the Son. It is simple, pure and just. It opens the door to true peace, love and happiness. In our hearts lie the seeds of the Pharisees way – missing Christ’s invitation and focusing on man-made tradition, planted there by evil to lead us from the Way. Let Christ then be our guide to allow God into our hearts. And may all our actions meet Christ’s litmus test – Does this love God, our neighbors and build the Kingdom? For first century Jews, the temple was where heaven and earth meet and God’s presence was felt. For Christians when God is in our hearts, heaven and earth interlock and we are in His presence.