Rules Rules!

We have seen many Government signs over the past nigh on 2 years. That of Stay alert (never sure we could control a virus), and Hands Face Space, amongst others. What with 2 metres then 1 metre plus then all sorts. And that depends upon whether we are inside or outside, whether we are in a hospitality venue or not.

Can we visit a house? depends on how many of us there are. 

Can we go to France? If so, can we return? What happens if they change the rules when we are there? Oh wow all we ask is for clarity, not rules rules!. 

We have had the traffic lights so we can go abroad, or was it the rainbow of colours, some permanent, others that can change.

But even before Covid struck we have had rules which were confusing: for those who understand sport: try to explain the offside law to one who doesn’t follow football; or the leg before wicket law in cricket – Howzat? -when the idea to watch a five day match with the possibility of no outcome is a complete non-starter. 

What about how we pronounce names of towns, especially in Scotland. Milngavie. Or Strathaven – I’m not even going to start here!

A Framework is what is needed

What every fledgling developing mission needs is clarity, some rules, a framework. And that’s what the Mosaic law, derived from the Torah, the first 5 books of the Hebrew Scriptures or what some call the Old Testament, gave the people of Israel. 

In our lives we may strive for a framework. I was in the military for nigh on 20 years, it was ingrained in me. But possibly we need rules that allow flexibility, which when written can also deal with the reality of life. Like a compass we can walk a direction, a bearing, but off we manoeuvre either side of trash, around obstacles, but return to the track, what’s not to like? 

The Methodist Way of Life has guidance, as does the Rule of Life I use as a Methodist Deacon. They are not draconian but beneficial, they are flexible allowing me as individual to flourish.

Q: Where in our lives do we find rules which allow us to flourish?
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Gospel passage about washing?

Before we move on, let’s pause a moment. Our reading today is one split up into sections: Mark 7:1-8,14-15. Did we take everything that was said in on that reading? This wasn’t the one about foot washing, was it. Perhaps as we are a by stander to the text, one looking in. May I invite you to be in that scene. Why not snuggle back into the chair, or the pillow in the bed, or the cushion on the bus/train/plane (really – wow, please write and tell us!) 

We are in a market place and we can see the locals milling around, looking for bargains. Perhaps you could imagine your local superstore. Can we feel the air-con chilling us as we move towards the fridges? Some people have entered the area, they are from out of town, known for their adherence to the rules. The staff have stopped to stare at them. They are carefully watching us all as we go around our shopping, choosing which vegetables and fruit for today’s meal. They tut as one shop assistant measures out an amount of fruit and simply hands it back to a customer. And and the assistant don’t change their gloves – oh my goodness, the tutting. 

It’s at this point that they approach Jesus. Where are we in this scene? How close are we to Jesus? Can we hear what they are saying?

Jesus has given those outsiders a right telling off, saying that they are trying to compare apples and oranges. It seems that the out-of-town people are trying to tell everyone else that we are all doing it wrong, in fact we are affecting others by the way we act. We are the cause of the problems in society.

Jesus has now turned to us. It’s not what we eat that ruins us what comes out of us from the inside. Some people are confused and asked him to explain more. 

Washing?

Are you one that washes all of your vegetables when we get back from the shops? Some people like their potatoes still with a bit of earth on them, give them a rub and they’ll be ok. Whilst others like to scrub then, peel them, remove the eyes, before boiling them. We have been told many times that to ward off this virus we need to wash hands – and they are correct. The sale of hand cleansing has never known such a time. Perhaps that’s a good thing?

And so what we can focus upon is that, washing hands is good – but this parable isn’t about our external cleanliness. Not at all. If it were Jesus has actually denied the law which existed at his time, but there was no great debate about the Leviticus code for hand washing in the early Church. In Hebrew argument it was one of comparison – ’not this but that’, where one thing was more important than the other, but not to dismiss the other. 

What really defiles man is not this but that.

It reads For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 6: 6

Those who are so busy with ritual cleanliness, mindlessly following the rules, that they may be ignoring their moral cleanliness. 

Where we go off the path where God wants us to follow isn’t down to the actions of others but ourselves. It’s not the eating of certain foods that helps us, it’s not the attending particular forms of worship, or giving certain sums of money that gives us an extra leg up with God, but our resting in God’s presence. 

That’s a simple rule to follow.