Crumbs 105

 

Crumbs 105

Two Reactions

1. Scripture 53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55 They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed. 7 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” 6 Ha replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honour me with their lips,    but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;    their teachings are merely human rules.’8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

2. Crumbs This passage lets us see people’s reactions to Jesus in his ministry. One group were ordinary folk mobbing Him. They were burdened by the misery of ill heath in themselves or in their loved ones. He had healing powers. and there was something deeply sad about the way they struggled to touch him in their desperation. They had their needs and Jesus could fulfil them. In many of His healing miracles Jesus gave a word that lead on to deeper truths and a greater liberation.

Another group reacting to Jesus were the religious and academic. They saw faith as a matter of fulfilling rules and conforming to traditions, In the Gospels there are incidents of Jesus taking time to talk to these folk. Much of His teaching arises from His answers to their questions. .Nicodemus is an example (John 3). Christians should not be recognised by what they do not do but by a simple faith in Christ transforming their lives. Christ’s call is to all. No one is excluded on the basis of race, gender or class, God spoke into history and the result was Jesus. As John says “ the Word was made flesh”.This is the one we see healing the sick and guiding the uncertain.

Questions

1. How can we help the recipients of the church’s help to move on to faith ?

2. How can we prevent our faith from becoming simply a matter of fulfilling regulations ?.

3.What is the right response to Jesus?