6 February 2024 Mark 7:1-13
Jesus was a layman.
Even though centuries of theologians have grown comfortable referring to Jesus as our “Great High Priest,” and even though centuries of priests have grown comfortable claiming that Jesus established their life and work at the Last Supper, at which the lay faithful were noticeably absent, it does not alter the fact that Jesus was not formally trained in any rabbinical school, was not of the priestly tribe of Levi, was not educated to be a temple priest or Scribe, and most definitely was not a Pharisee, Sadducee, or Essene (see Bishop Robert Barron, Catholicism, p. 11).
Jesus was a layman.
Jesus was uncomfortable with the religious establishment, and they with Him. The Pharisees and Scribes conducted several investigations of Jesus, to which Jesus responded by calling them names, and calling attention to their double standards: “Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside are full of dead men’s bones, and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27). “You make void the word of God through your tradition!” (Mark 7:9).
Jesus was a layman, and a pretty sharp critic of the clergy.
But it wasn’t just the religious establishment that questioned Jesus, His training and teaching. Everyone wondered where He got it: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mark 6:3). “Who does this jumped up tradesman think he is? We know him, know his family, seen his house. Where does he get off, talking to us like this?” They thought about throwing Him off a cliff (Luke 4:29)
Jesus was a layman, and lay people were threatened by Him, too.
Jesus didn’t have a problem with tradition – He was pretty conservative that way. He insisted that the Law of Moses be followed, unchanged: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets…. Not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18). Jesus had a problem when traditions contradicted the clear teaching of scripture. “You want to call out the religious authorities for hypocrisy? Fine. But you better be able to say how the traditions violate scripture. You better be able to back up your complaints with some real understanding, or you’re just as bad as the hypocrites are.” Jesus expected ordinary people, lay people, to know the traditions, and scripture.
Jesus was a layman who thought that lay people need to do their job.
Jesus had no problem with the commandments – He was pretty conservative that way. He had a problem with people who used traditions to work around the commandments. He thought everyone should honor their fathers and mothers, and not use loopholes in tradition to justify withholding support from them in their old age (Mark 7:11-12). That was the standard for everyone, not just the clergy. “You want to call out the religious authorities for hypocrisy? Fine. How are you doing on the commandments? ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ ‘Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.’ ‘You shall not bear false witness.’ ‘You shall not covet.’ And all the rest. How’s that going for you?”
Jesus was a layman who thought the requirement of holiness applied to everyone. Holiness means not looking at each other, comparing ourselves to each other. It means together looking at Him.
There is only one Holiness. It doesn’t belong to lay people, and it doesn’t belong to clergy. It belongs to Him.
“You shall be for me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6).
Look at Him. All of you. All of us. Look at Him.
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