Reading 1 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.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 37:5-6, 30-31, 39-40
R. (30a) The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
Commit to the LORD your way;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will make justice dawn for you like the light;
bright as the noonday shall be your vindication.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The mouth of the just man tells of wisdom
and his tongue utters what is right.
The law of his God is in his heart,
and his steps do not falter.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
And the LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.
R. The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom.
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
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” (Mark 7:15)
As vital an organ as it is, the human heart is also prone to some very threatening disorders: coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, and other cardiac conditions. And that’s just in the physical realm. Spiritually, our hearts are just as susceptible!
Addressing the differences in ritual between Jews and Gentiles regarding food, Jesus declared that nothing that a person eats—what enters into him from outside—can defile him. “Thus,” Mark tells us, “he declared all foods clean” (Mark 7:19). But then he turned the conversation from the physical to the spiritual, declaring: “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile” (7:21-23).
Jesus used this conversation about clean and unclean foods to teach his disciples about clean and unclean hearts. He took the opportunity to tell how we all have sinful drives and ignoble impulses lurking within our hearts—and that this is where we need to focus our attention. We can’t simply blame the “sinful culture out there” for our failings, because it’s really what is within that defiles us. The environment around us, the company we keep, the unavoidable circumstances of our daily lives can present occasions to act out the sinful attitudes and immoral desires of our hearts, but they don’t make us sin. We sin because we are sinners— weak, fallen people. That’s why we confess that we’ve sinned “through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” and not because “the devil made me do it.”
So how can we respond in godly ways to the challenges we face in the world around us? By cultivating hearts for God. By fostering a “heart-healthy” lifestyle that avoids what is dangerous to our spiritual welfare. We need to be careful about what we allow into our minds and hearts. Then our faith will be reflected in our lives, and our actions will flow from hearts full of love, hearts always seeking to do God’s will.
“Father, teach me to guard my heart. Purify me more and more, so that I can reflect your ways and your goodness to everyone around me.”
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