God’s Law is sufficient Dt 4:1-2, 6-8; Ps 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5; Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 We deal with misunderstandings frequently in our daily lives, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Yet even the smallest misunderstanding can snowball into a big problem if we assume the worst and do not seek to understand where the other person is coming from. This can be especially difficult when we feel strongly that another person intended to hurt us. In these moments, one must work to put their ego aside and be willing to communicate rather than react. Another type of misunderstanding that can be difficult to correct is one that has been taught and passed down for generations. Today’s Gospel reading is an example of such a misunderstanding. Christians have commonly read this passage as Jesus denouncing dietary laws as human precepts rather than God’s command. However, that is not what we see Jesus do here. This misunderstanding became part of something that persists centuries later, the problems of anti-Judaism and antisemitism. To understand this story, we first need to understand a little about purity and impurity. We can find most of the biblical laws regarding purity and impurity in the book of Leviticus and in Numbers 19. Most cultures in the Ancient Near East had beliefs about purity and impurity and had their own systems to address these concerns. In the Gospels we can clearly see that maintaining purity was an important issue for Jews of the first century. The type concern we mostly see in the Gospels involves what is called “ritual impurity.” This is a type of impurity that renders one unable to approach a sacred space, such as the Temple. This impurity is not a moral judgment on a person. It does not mean they have sinned. It is simply a physical state that is part of daily life. Ritual impurity was not something to be ashamed or afraid of. It was simply better to be in a state of purity, if possible. There were different ideas among Jews about how to maintain and avoid impurity. The teachings of the Pharisees differ from those of the Sadducees, and the teachings of the Dead Sea community differed further. Many of Jesus’ teachings are in line with Pharisaic teachings. Sometimes he is a little more lenient than the Pharisees. Other times he is stricter. This is an occasion in which he is stricter than the Pharisees, presenting an argument that is more in line with the Sadducees. We know that the Pharisees kept some sort of practices that developed in addition to biblical laws. The example we see here is a practice of washing one’s hands before eating kosher food. This helps to avoid one’s hands accidentally making kosher food impure, and further defiling the one who eats it. Contrary to what Mark states, not all Jews kept this practice, but the Pharisees certainly did. When they ask Jesus why he and his followers do not keep this practice, they are not accusing him of wrongdoing. They are engaging him in a debate about Jewish practices. Jesus’ answer is not that Jewish dietary laws are unnecessary or part of a larger system that puts the law above morality and compassion. Rather, he says that the additional traditions that developed outside of the Torah should not replace the laws of the Torah (Dt 4:6). Rather, the dietary laws as they are found in the Torah are sufficient. Jesus is saying that kosher food cannot become impure and, thus, cannot make one impure. So, what we read in the Gospel should not be understood as Jesus declaring all food, including non-kosher food, safe to eat (Mk 7:19b). Jesus instead declares all kosher food as safe to eat with or without hand-washing. This is a radically different message than the common misinterpretation that Jesus rejects dietary laws. Instead, it presents him as a devout follower of Torah law who trusts that God’s law is sufficient as is. How does this change the way you understand Jesus? How might this new understanding help you as you read other Gospel stories? May we always seek to better understand God and each other.
About the Author Kate Oxsen is an assistant professor of Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union.