Mark 7:9-13
This week’s lessons begin with Jesus restating the 5th Commandment to Honor your father and mother. With May and June holidays celebrating parents, my initial thoughts focused on sharing a story about my parents. Yet, this reading has a much deeper and pointed message.
In the previous verses (7:1-5), the Pharisees were back to their trapping ways accusing the disciples for not “washing” their hands before eating. In this context they were not meaning a hygienic cleaning, but the ritual cleansing. The ceremonial cleaning was not Moses’ Law, but one developed through Hebrew culture to cleanse from Gentile contacts.
Instead of directly challenging the Hebrew ceremonies, Jesus turned the tables and pointed out their own hypocrisy. In verse 10 He referenced the 5th Commandment (Exodus 20:12) to “Honor your father and mother” as one of 10 highest God Laws passed down through Moses to the Jewish people. Jesus in verse 11 immediately points out that the Pharisees allowed the people to evoke a Hebrew cultural tradition called Corban to circumvent and avoid following the 5th Commandment. Jesus was pointing out that the Pharisees were allowing a Hebrew tradition to trump the God/Moses commandment for their own benefits.
I had to do some more research to understand this act of Corban. Corban comes from Hebrew word quoban meaning a gift or offering, and Greek word korbanas meaning a temple treasure. In ancient times the 5th Commandment meant not just to honor your parents, but a person was to provide support and help especially in their old age. This was ancient retirement planning. Jewish religious leaders created a cultural tradition called Corban in which a person could “declare corban” protecting their assets from being used to support their parents. A person could deny their own parents in the name of religion with the sanction of the religious leaders, declaring that God asked them to do it.
The Hebrew tradition of Corban allowed the Pharisees to steal retirement funding from parents and the aged as a form of retirement tax. The tradition also allowed a person to declare Corban, wait till the parents died which could revoke Corban allowing the funds to be used by the person and allowing what was left to go to the temple. Jesus pointed out this hypocrisy that the Pharisees were accusing the disciples of breaking a cultural man-made law while the Pharisees were using a cultural man-made law to circumvent one of ten highest God Laws.
The use of Corban offerings allowed a person to do homage, win favors, or secure pardons. Throughout history, mankind used the name of God to mask greed and hypocrisy. Highlighted by prophet Isaiah in 900 BCEs, here in Jesus’ time, in Martin Luther’s protestant times (think indulgences), Hitler’s 1930’, etc. Today propaganda and spin rooms twist the intent and meanings of almost every news cast.
My grandfather used to have a Swedish saying “Har kommer han, med smit lumtiga smor” (sp?)– “Here comes him with his dirty butter”. Nice, sweet, God like words can sometimes be laced with selfish, greedy, evil meaning. Jesus came to us on earth to help simplify and clarify God’s message to love God unconditionally and love others as yourself.
Questions For Reflection:
- When have you ever said something to someone sounding nice but meaning something much different?
- Have you ever cut someone down in hopes that your own weaknesses might seem less important?
- Over the next few months, the political “bashing” will likely be in full bloom. Do we attempt to diffuse the rhetoric by turning the tables on others or find common positive ground to stand on? Tough question. How can you use the Golden Rule to tell Jesus’ story of saving and redeeming grace?
Prayer
Dear God, Please implant your love and grace on the governmental and religious leaders of our world. Help them set aside partisan posturing to find common ground to establish a foundation for meaningful dialog and governing. Help each of us to be a calming voice in the choir creating a harmonic song of love for God and others.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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