I grew up in a context where a cup of tea was about more than just the hot drink. It was a sign of hospitality, welcome, respect and care. I visited friends one summer who did not provide me a cup of tea, and I was deeply offended. From their perspective, it was summer, and it was too hot for tea. In my perspective, the weather was irrelevant, and I interpreted their action as a lack of hospitality and care.
When the disciples were seen eating without washing their hands, the complaint was not about cleanliness or hygiene. It was about disrespecting tradition and dishonouring the elders.
But Jesus invites the pharisees to hold the mechanics around rituals lightly, while being open to the deeper reality of God’s action in the world.
What traditions do we hold so tightly that we are critical of others? What invitation might Jesus be extending about how to be attentive to God’s presence and purpose in our current realities?
Dear God, give us wisdom to know how to honour the traditions and history that mean so much to us, while at the same time being open to the new thing that you are doing in our lives. Amen. —