Religion, Faith and Authentic Living

15  Pentecost Cycle B proper 17   September 2, 2018

Song of Solomon 2:8-13 Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10

James 1:17-27  Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Lectionary Link

I might love and appreciate music;  I might even try to participate in it in my amateur ways and yet I am not a musician.  Some people are not only gifted but also they have fully embraced the practice required to be a musician.  I can be a listener and hearer of music, but I cannot do it as well as fully trained and gifted musicians.

I admire people in many other disciplines, scientists, mathematicians, inventors and I can read and hear them, but I cannot do science or math or invention in the same way.

In life, as much competence as we try to attain, we still cannot be omni-competent in all of the disciplines of life.

But that brings us to the life of faith and religion.  Faith and religion is accessible to everyone.  No one has to take special training in faith or religion.

Faith and religion require of us all authentic living.  How do we attain authentic living?  By not only hearing the word of God, but also doing it.

Everyone is required in life to live up to their greatest ideals; no one is exempt.  The word of God and faith is accessible to everyone.  You don't need to go to seminary, you don't need to go to confirmation class, you don't need to go to church; hearing and obeying the word of God is accessible to everyone, everywhere and at all times.

One of the main problems that Jesus had with the religious leaders of his time is that they had put religious rules and rituals in place of the commonsense practice of doing goodness, kindness and justice to everyone.

When we replace being good in word and deed, with simply the ritual practice of religion, we have missed the point of faith, religion, the law, the prophets and the message of Christ.

Why are we tempted to replace being good with religious rituals?  Because being really good and just is much harder work.  It is harder work for our naturally selfish selves.  It is easy to come to church and to Mass while we know outside of our church walls there are many people without enough food, clothing and shelter.  Religious ritual is easy; actually loving our neighbors and doing justice for everyone is really difficult.

The Gospel words of Jesus today remind us about the purpose of religion, faith, the law and the prophets.  The purpose of faith is to grow and learn how to not only hear the word of God but also do the word of God in acts of love, sacrifice and justice.  Jesus did not have many good things to say about the interior life which motivates the bad thoughts and deeds of our life.  He was saying that we can't use religious behavior to be something like lipstick on a pig.  Jesus promised the baptism of the Holy Spirit for us to attain the source of a clean heart to motivate us beyond mere self interest and self love, to practice the religion of loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbors.

You and I come to this altar today, not because life is as easy as coming to this altar; we come here because we are desperate for God's help to be authentic people.  We come here to ask for grace to help us not only to hear God's word but also to do God's word in the way in which Jesus Christ lived.  Amen.