Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Aug. 30, 2015

Ancient icon depicting James, the Brother of Jesus.

Last week we heard the people recommit to God’s covenant as they crossed the Jordan into Canaan with Joshua. Now we back up in time, to Deuteronomy, to listen as Moses emphasizes the importance of following God’s covenant. By carrying God’s teaching through the generations, the Israelites will earn the promised land, gaining the world’s respect for its wisdom and discernment.

Psalm: Psalm 15

Echoing Moses’ wisdom, the Psalmist – said by tradition in this Psalm to be King David himself – proclaims that those who live blamelessly and with righteousness and truth may earn God’s protection. Be honest, be trustworthy, be fair; protect the innocent. Follow these ways, and abide upon God’s holy hill.

Second Reading: James 1:17-27

After spending more than a month with the letter to the Ephesians, we now turn for a month or so to the letter of James. This epistle is traditionally attributed to James, the brother of Jesus, but it was probably written by a later Jewish Christian, perhaps around the same time as Matthew’s Gospel. Martin Luther is said to have disliked the letter of James because it seems to conflict with Luther’s belief in salvation by faith alone. This passage is akin to today’s other readings in its emphasis on God’s covenant – “care for the widows and orphans in their distress.” James seems in no doubt that we are called not merely to hear God’s teaching but to act on what we hear.

Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

After our summer digression into John’s Gospel, we now return to Mark for the rest of this liturgical year. In keeping with today’s readings, we find Jesus arguing with the scribes and Pharisees over the details of following God’s teachings and keeping God’s laws. Challenged because his disciples failed to follow strict ritual practices before eating, Jesus cites the Prophet Isaiah as he raises up the spirit of God’s laws in favor of blind adherence to ritual. It is not eating that defiles us, Jesus proclaims, but the sins that come from our mouths and our hearts.