Reading I
1 Kgs 10:1-10
The queen of Sheba, having heard of Solomon’s fame,
came to test him with subtle questions.
She arrived in Jerusalem with a very numerous retinue,
and with camels bearing spices,
a large amount of gold, and precious stones.
She came to Solomon and questioned him on every subject
in which she was interested.
King Solomon explained everything she asked about,
and there remained nothing hidden from him
that he could not explain to her.
When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon’s great wisdom,
the palace he had built, the food at his table,
the seating of his ministers, the attendance and garb of his waiters,
his banquet service,
and the burnt offerings he offered in the temple of the LORD,
she was breathless.
“The report I heard in my country
about your deeds and your wisdom is true,” she told the king.
“Though I did not believe the report until I came and saw with my own eyes,
I have discovered that they were not telling me the half.
Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard.
Blessed are your men, blessed these servants of yours,
who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom.
Blessed be the LORD, your God,
whom it has pleased to place you on the throne of Israel.
In his enduring love for Israel,
the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice.”
Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty gold talents,
a very large quantity of spices, and precious stones.
Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices
as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
Gospel
Mk 7:14-23
Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,
“Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.”
When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
“Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?”
(Thus he declared all foods clean.)
“But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile.”
Meditation: Mark 7:14-23
Jesus didn’t pull any punches when some of the Pharisees complained about the way his disciples seemed to disregard their ancestors’ traditions.
Along with their involved list of unclean, forbidden foods, some Jews also had elaborate rituals of hand washing before meals. It must have been shocking to hear Jesus say that it wasn’t what went into someone’s body—as in eating with unwashed hands—but what came out that defiled a person (Mark 7:15).
Apparently, Jesus’ words were so radical that even his disciples didn’t understand (Mark 7:17-18). So Jesus spelled it out for them by naming some of the ugly tendencies that reside in the human heart. He was using the physical act of washing and eating as an analogy for the spiritual defilement that comes from our own hearts.
Doesn’t this list of impure motives turn your stomach? It’s bad enough that we live in a world that is antagonistic toward God. Now Jesus is telling us that we have to deal with the sinful desires that rise up in our own hearts as well. It’s one thing to face down the sinful elements of life in this word, but it gets even more difficult when we find that very world living within us.
Who can save us from these inner thoughts and drives? Thanks be to God, we have a Savior and Redeemer in Jesus Christ! Today’s psalm tells us that “the salvation of the just is from the Lord, their refuge in time of distress” (Psalm 37:39).
Brothers and sisters, we all need healing and salvation from Jesus. We all need to be saved from the world, and we also need to be healed of the sin in our hearts. Our very nature—not just our environment—needs the power of Jesus’ cross. So let’s make the choice right now to deal with these drives by submitting them to Jesus. Every little step we take will unlock a torrent of divine grace. Every choice to turn to Jesus will give us spiritual strength to keep fighting the good fight of faith. Let’s keep it up so that we can witness to the goodness and mercy of God.
“Lord, thank you for your cleansing blood, which purifies me and makes me into a new creation. Help me to live as your disciple, bringing goodness and mercy and love to all I come in contact with.”
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