Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
August 30, 2009

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (NRSV)
Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.' You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile." For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."

From the Inside Out

            Did you ever put on something inside out and not notice it until you were out in public? Now I KNOW that some of today’s trends have teens wearing underwear outside of their shorts and shirts and dresses with the selvages showing. In fact, some of the clothes that I see for sale LOOK like they have already been turned inside-out…but that’s for another sermon.
            As most of you know, I was in Aruba last week – a beautiful example of God’s creation. It was beach time and I was hurrying to get there because you don’t want to waste any of that sunshine. I threw my cover-up over my bathing suit as I bolted out the door to the elevator. As I made my way down the hall, my friend Chris quietly pointed out that my cover-up was inside-out! But, she quickly added, you really couldn’t tell! Well, of course I could tell – at least now after she pointed it out to me. So once we were safely encased in the 4 by 4 elevator, I took off my cover-up, turned it right side out and slipped it back over my head. I felt better knowing that my clothing was no longer inside out!
            This morning our gospel reading talks about things on the inside and things on the outside. Jesus says, “It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it's what you vomit—that's the real pollution.” What Jesus means is that it is not what we put in our stomachs that is bad; it is the impurity that comes from our hearts that is corrupt. You see, Jesus does not want anyone to live a life of hypocrisy – saying one thing and doing another; acting one way at church and a completely different way at home; holding fast to religious traditions when you are in the company of some while foregoing any indication of traditions when with others. Jesus wants us to follow Godly ways rather than worldly ones.
            Hypocrisy happens when there is a disparity between the moral values and standards that we promote and those we actually practice in our lives. We are hypocritical when we pretend to be something that we are not – sometimes this is a blatant deception on our part; other times we may not be aware of the “air of arrogance” we present to others. What Jesus is pointing out to the Pharisees and scribes, and to us, is the everyday human struggle to discover and maintain the integrity of the self.
Think about this for a moment: Which would you prefer for a next-door neighbor: a person with good habits or a person with a good heart? Which would you prefer for a good friend: a person with good habits or a person with a good heart? Which would you prefer for spouse: a person with good habits or a person with a good heart? Which would you prefer for a child: a child with good habits or a child with a good heart?
It’s great to have a neighbor who conscientiously cares for his property. It’s nice to have a friend who is considerate. It’s fantastic to be married to a spouse who is gracious. It’s super to have children who show respect and use good manners.
Yet, as wonderful as these situations are, none of them compare to having a neighbor, a friend, a spouse or a child with a good heart. “When we discuss good behavior, we are discussing the quality of a person’s self-control. When we discuss a good heart, we are discussing the quality of the person.”
This is the focus of today’s lesson. The Pharisees and scribes have come from Jerusalem and are gathered around Jesus watching the disciples. When the disciples do not follow the ceremonial hand washing before eating, the religious leaders question their behavior. Jesus sticks up for the disciples saying: “Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull's-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn't in it. They act like they are worshiping me, but they don't mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy, Ditching God's command and taking up the latest fads.” (6-8) Then Jesus turns to the crowd and says: "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come." (14-15) Jesus is addressing the need for a pure heart, a heart that shares God’s love with others.
There was a story told of a fifth grade teacher by the name of Mrs. Thompson. Maybe you have heard it before. On the first day of class, she told her students a lie. She said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible because, in the front row, slumped in his seat, sat a little boy by the name of Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thomson already had some preconceived ideas about Teddy because she had seen him in the lunch room and on the playground last year.
            Teddy’s clothes were messy and he always needed a bath. Teddy could actually be unpleasant in class. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson actually delighted in marking his papers with bold red X’s and then putting a big “F” on the top.
            At school, every teacher was required to review each child’s past records. Mrs. Thompson put Teddy Stoddard’s off until last – reading his records just before Thanksgiving. When she did, she had an unsettling surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a contagious laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around." His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle." His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class." Mrs. Thompson’s cheeks burned red hot. Why did she wait so long to read his review?
            When Christmas came, the children all brought presents for her, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper – except Teddy. His present was clumsily wrapped in brown paper from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was. She put it on and then dabbed some of the perfume on her wrist.
Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. Instead, Mrs. Thompson began to teach children.
            As Mrs. Thompson worked with Teddy, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became her favorite. A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He wanted her to know that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he stayed in school and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life. Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter said that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. Now the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
But the story doesn't end there. There was one more letter. That spring Teddy wrote that he was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years back and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.
Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference." Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."
Jesus said, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile." Mrs. Thompson had a change of heart. Through Teddy, she discovered the importance of integrity. She knew that her actions needed to support her words. We, too, need to have a change of heart. We must be careful not to be hypocritical by saying one thing and doing the opposite. Our goal should be to make a difference in this world because we’re here – living a Christian life modeled after Jesus!
Friends, when we put out faith in Jesus, He offers us the opportunity to change our hearts. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can live with a clean heart, a pure heart, a heart that shares God’s love – from the inside out.
Amen and amen.