Tuesday 9th February, 2010
1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30. How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord, mighty God—Ps 83(84):3-5, 10-11. Mark 7:1-13.

  
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‘You have put aside the commandments of God to observe human traditions.’

‘Day and night you watch over this Temple’, Solomon prays to the Lord. How sad that those entrusted with this tradition in Jesus’ time had corrupted it. The Pharisees had come to emphasise external rites and practices without reference to their inner meaning. ‘You make God’s word ineffective for the sake of your tradition which you have handed down’, Jesus charges them.

We too can be distracted by the security of external observance and procedure. May we have the insight and courage to look beyond these to the reality inside. Lord, help us to recognise the goodness and value of every person we meet, and to treat them as you would have us treat them.