THE INNER LIFE The Lord Christ came to the world, to enter with us into our inner man, so as not to care, just for the outer formalities and appearances, but to seek the renewal of our deep man. That is why He rebuked those who were keen on keeping the commandments, but not according to their spirit. 1- The Lord Christ and the washings 1–23. 2- Healing the daughter of a Phoenician woman 24–30. 3- Healing a deaf mute 31–37. 1- THE LORD CHRIST AND THE WASHINGS The Pharisees blamed the disciples of Christ, because they saw some of them eating with unwashed hands. The evangelist explained to us, how the Jews used to wash cups, pitchers, couches, and everything coming from the marketplace, holding the tradition of the elders. The Master did not criticize the act of washing in itself, but He criticized getting preoccupied with it, at the expense of inner washing; caring for literal traditions at the expense of the commandment in its depths; So He answered them: “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites; as it is written: :This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of man. For laying aside the commandments of God, you hold the tradition of men - the washing of pitchers, and cups, and many other such things you do; And He said to them: ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (s 6-9) In these words of the Lord Christ, it is to be noticed: 1- The Lord Christ gives everyone what he needs. When the simple multitude came to Him carrying the sick to marketplaces, begging for a chance to touch just the border of His garment, to be healed, He granted them what they asked for, and “As many as touched Him were made well” ( 56). As to the learned Pharisees, who came, not to get anything, but to fish for any wrongdoing, He likewise gave them what they need. He revealed to them their deeply hidden wound, to let them seek a physician, capable of healing the ailments of their souls. 2- The Lord Christ criticized the Jews for keeping the killing formalities, under the pretension of holding the tradition; as they were like those who honor God with their lips, while their hearts are far away from Him. In our study “Orthodoxy and Tradition” we discerned between the killing literal tradition, that contradicts the commandment, and hinders the soul from setting forth in spirituals towards the heavenliness, and what the tradition carried, of authentic spiritual legacy, and beautiful rites, like the Jewish liturgies, with all their praises and psalms, etc., things that the Master or His disciples did not object, but used to go to the temple to partake of the Jewish worship, yet, with a new Christian concept. To understand why the Lord Christ criticized those Jewish washings, we have to mention what some scholars said, that they were not intended for the sake of hygiene, but as literal rite formalities. When a Jew washed his hands for purification, he used to get water in a clean stone trough according to the rite, then raise his hands upwards, and pour on them some water, then lowers them downwards, and pours more water over the wrists, 5 to get down over the fingers. A Jew used to believe that, unless he does that accurately, he will be possessed by an unclean spirit, by the name of ‘Shipta,’ to be cursed eventually with poverty and destruction. It was claimed that, as a teacher, abstained from practicing that rite, he was graved at death in the tombs of heretics; and when a Rabbi was imprisoned in a Roman prison, he got to use the limited water, for washing his hands, rather than to drink, until he died of thirst. The Mishnah1 contains a variety of the Jewish rites of washings. There is no doubt, that the Pharisees’ criticism for Christ’s disciples, concerning eating without washing their hands, was only out of hypocrisy, as they did not really stand the disciples who freed themselves of these formalities. A literal man cannot stand spiritual thinking, but opposes it, turning his life into one of idiotic, barren controversy! 3- The Pharisees accused His disciples of breaking, not the Lord’s commandment, but the tradition of elders. But He revealed to them, from the Law and prophets, that they are acting out of hypocrisy, breaking the Lord’s commandment, and in need of a physician to cure them of their ailment. He presented them with a serious example of their deviation; that they allow anybody to refrain from subsidy of his parents, with the excuse that he has, instead, presented it as a ‘Corban’ to God. By doing that, he is actually breaking God’s commandment, concerning the honoring of parents, supported in this by the deceiving tradition of elders, which is really aiming towards increasing the money coming to the temple, which they get a lion’s share of. Therefore, that tradition, was not meant to keep God’s commandment, but to oppose and destroy it. As they think of themselves as the guardians of the Law, He assured them that they are actually nullifying the words of God and His Law, by their wrong tradition. And as they pride themselves, as the great references of the prophesies, He presented them with one, by the prophet Isaiah, who said about them: “These people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” ( 6 - Isaiah 29:13) Having revealed to the scribes and the Pharisees, their inner wounds, He called all the multitude to Him, and said to them: “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him, but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” (s 14-16) He revealed to them the concept of real defilement; a concept that a Jew would never be able to appreciate, unless he acquired the spiritual ear, that can apprehend what are high above the letters. The Jew has lived for a very long time concerned with which kinds of food, garments, furniture, could defile him (Lev. 11); he had in mind a long horrible list of these things. Now, the Lord came to reveal the roots of defilement, that touch the inner life, and not the outer appearances: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts adulteries, fortifications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness, All these evil things come from within and defile a man” (s 21-23) This list of evil things is frequently presented by the New Testament, for warning; as for example, that mentioned in the epistle to the Romans 1:29-31; and in that to the Galatians (5:13- 19). This list, needs no clarification; but, the word ‘covetousness’, in Greek, means “wishing for more,” that is to say, “never satisfied.” The word ‘wickedness,’ means “evil doings,” a feature of him, who rejoices when misfortune happens to other people. That is 1 Concerning “Mishnah,” see our book: Tradition and Orthodoxy, Alexandria 1979, p. 36. 6 why the devil is called ‘the wicked one.’ As to ‘deceit,’ it means, “ensnarement;” and lastly, ‘foolishness’ means “spiritual idiocy.” 4- Some people see in the disciples, eating with unwashed hands, a reference to stretching their hands in preaching work among the Gentiles, whom the Jews consider as unclean, and unholy people. 5- If the Savior has criticized those Pharisees, for their care for outer appearances, and not for inner essence; it is fitting for us, Christians, to have a greater care for the right behavior; Why?! Because, as St. John Chrysostom says: [Because, our continuous meetings here, should not be just for the sake of routine; we should always gain from them some fruit. If you share in singing two or three psalms, and practicing certain prayers, do you think that, would be enough for your salvation?!1] 6- Certain scholars believe that this teaching of the Lord Christ, presented to the scribes and the Pharisees, as well as to the multitude, is a fitting introduction to the following episode, concerning the healing of the daughter of the Phoenician woman; as through it, the Lord intended to confirm, that there are no clean people and unclean ones; but the need is for the inner pure heart. 2- HEALING OF THE PHOENICIAN GIRL The Master did not feel comfortable among those who used to live according to the outer appearances, without inner depths; that is why “From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.” ( 24) That is, He forsook His own, and went to a region of the Gentiles; to proclaim that His own, have lost Him by their formalities, while the strangers have enjoyed Him through their feelings of their need for Him. The evangelist says: “He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.” ( 24) Why did he enter in secret, and wanted no one to know it? Probably because the time was not yet ripe for the preaching among the Gentiles; yet that was only a sort of a symbol that He has forsaken His own and set forth to the Gentiles. Some scholars believe that the Lord, having seen how the Pharisees have criticized His disciples for eating with unwashed hands; what would be their reaction if they saw the Lord himself getting to people considered by them as unclean, even designated as ‘little dogs’?! The Lord could not hide, because, “A Phoenician woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.” ( 25) It was as though the Master wished to proclaim to His disciples, how the Jews had closed before themselves the doors of His love, despite what He offered them; while the Gentiles came to Him, humbly and faithfully, despite His secret approach to them. And in order to reveal to them, more clearly, the extent of faith of the Gentiles in Him, He was at first reluctant to grant the woman her request, saying to her: “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs” ( 27) Then comes the woman’s response testifying how, while the children have discarded their bread, those, counted by the Jews as ‘little dogs,’ have become worthy of the children’s bread, by their humility and faith. That conversation carried a message for the Jews. From one side, He came to offer them the children’s bread; yet they rejected the heavenly bread; and from the other side, they used to despise the Gentiles, counting them as unclean like dogs, although they, 1 In Matt. hom 7: 9. 7 by their faith, enjoy what the children do not. That conversation, also revealed the wisdom of the Phoenician woman; who was not offended by calling the Gentiles ‘little dogs,’ but wisely said, that she wished to enjoy even the crumbs that fall from the children; and thus she proclaimed that the children of this world are wiser than the denying Jews. Some scholars see that the words ‘little dogs,’ in Greek, designate ‘pups,’ which are a kind of miniature dogs, kept as nice toys, and not the fierce dogs of watch; which alleviates the matter a little bit. That, together with the tone of speech and of voice, have encouraged the Phoenician woman to resume the conversation; as certain expressions, that seem harsh in writing, saying them in a gentle way, would alleviate their sharpness. Anyhow, it was not easy for the Jews to accept preaching among the Gentiles; but the Lord, here, opens the door for them, to make it easy for the apostles Paul and Barnabas to proclaim boldly: “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourself unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13: 46) Another time, the apostle Paul said: “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” (Acts 18: 6) 3- HEALING A DEAF MUTE It seems that the Lord Christ, did not wish to stay long among the Gentiles, to avoid offending the Jews, who would see Him as a breaker of the Law, having fellowship with the ‘unclean’ Gentiles. That is why the evangelist says: “Departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.” ( 31) “There, they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. Then He took him aside from the multitude, and put His finger in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up at heaven, He said to him: ‘Ephphatha,’ that is ‘be open;’ immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.” (s 32-35) That deaf mute, living at the boundary of ‘Decapolis,’ was in need for the Lord Christ, Himself, to grant him the ability to hear and utter the word of God. If ‘Decapolis’ referred to the ten commandments or the Law; that Law revealed the inability of man to hear the voice of God, and to speak about His works. Therefore, the Master came to place His finger in his ear, that is to say, to send His Holy Spirit, termed “the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19), to open up the inner ear, to hear the Divine voice working in it. Spitting and touching his tongue, refer to the gift of Divine wisdom, granted by God to humanity, to be able to speak of the wisdom and works of God. As to His looking up at heaven, sighing, that was to proclaim that what He is granting, are heavenly gifts, that are rejected by those of flesh. The evangelist ends his narration of that miracle by saying: “They were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well’ He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” ( 37) With that phrase, he takes us back to the beginning of creation, when God saw that “All was good.” He, who had been working from the beginning for the sake of man, is, Himself, who came to renew humanity, and to restore to man his joy and his peace. Some scholars1 see this phrase “He has done all 1 Nineham, p. 202. 8 things well”,” to mean, “all prophesies have been realized in Him well.”
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