On Gospel of Luke 11:37-41

In many parts of Nigeria, people are particularly sensitive to food related hygiene. It is a standard practice to wash your hands before a meal. The reason for this is because many Nigerians would prefer to eat with their fingers. Now, this practice is not unique to Nigerians; it is also common in many other parts of the world as well. So, if you are invited to eat with a family where eating with the fingers is the practice, one of the things you are expected to do is to wash your hands before eating. But if you don’t, you are likely going to see frown faces. Your hosts would most likely roll their eyes, shake their heads in disbelief and conclude that you are a dirty person. 

In today’s Gospel, a Pharisee invites Jesus to dine at his home. The moment Jesus enters the house, he takes his seat and begins to eat without observing the required hand-washing before the meal. Of course, this mystifies his host. Jews are required to pour water over each hand at least two times and say a blessing before eating any meal that includes bread. But why did Jesus skip the ritual(known as netilat yadayim)? Is he so hungry that he does not have time to observe the norm? Doesn’t he have a sense of hygiene? Well, I believe Jesus does have a sense of hygiene. One of the principal marks of his teaching and ministry is the overturning of social conventions that just didn’t make sense. The Pharisees didn’t wash their hands to get them clean. There was no soap or scrubbing involved. It was just a ceremonial thing which involved pouring (dribbling) some water down the hands. It didn’t really serve any practical or spiritual purpose. It was done merely for the sake of appearance. And that’s one of the major problems the Pharisees had. Practically everything they did was for the sake of appearances. And this can also be our problem too. If it doesn’t matter to me that my life is not consistent with who I am called to be, not consistent with the Gospel that I preach, then it is all about appearance, a show. If what matters to us is to put up good performances in order to make others think we are leading holy lives, then we are hypocrites. The word hypocrisy comes from the Greek word, “hypokrisis,” which means “play-acting,” or “acting out.” So, it is pretty much an accurate description of what we do.  

But this play-acting can be quite tedious and exhausting as anyone who has tried to keep up appearances for any period of time can testify. So, what’s the solution? Take a look on the inside. Listen to the aboriginal vicar of Christ in the soul. Get the interior right! If we get the interior right, the exterior will eventually reflect that. Getting the interior right is getting the heart right. For biblical people, the heart also includes the mind. The heart means a person’s whole being. Therefore, pay attention to the contents of your heart and mind. Jesus himself says, “Blessed are the clean of heart for they shall see God, (Matt. 5:8)” and I love to add, “in everybody.” And once we are able to achieve this with God’s grace which is readily available to us especially through the sacraments, then we can be bold and courageous to preach the Gospel in words and deeds, for it is God’s power to save everyone who believes.

Consider this: if your heart is like a room, if the condition of your heart and mind is like a room, would you like to live in it? If the answer is no, you know what to do. 

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

For Tuesday, October 12, 2021