Title: Do You Not Understand?

Text: Mark 7:1-23

Date: June 22, 208

The day was now over and I was at home, relaxing a bit, cooking supper. The menu that day was chicken cordon blue, asparagus, and twice baked potatoes. It was going to be a nice meal, if I say so myself. Everything was going just perfect, just the way I had anticipated, that is until Leann came home to tell me that Ryan was going to get an award at school and we needed to be there in 30 minutes. He had forgotten to tell us until the very last minute, an happening that I am sure has never happened to anyone else but us.

Well, I must confess this did not go over very well with the chef and I let my feelings show and everyone know that I had worked so hard in preparing this meal and now it was going to be ruined. Thanks a lot! I mean which is more important, a nice meal or going and seeing my son receive an award? I so wish I could have that moment back, to hit the rewind button. I would have responded differently because I know which is more important.

Needless to say, my reaction, my temper tantrum, clouded the evening. You see, I didn’t get it. It was one of those times that I just did not see the main thing, the more important thing. I was so wrapped up in me that I failed to see. I just did not get it and Jesus asks, "Do you not understand?"

In my undergraduate days at Cisco Junior College, I invited a friend of mine to church. He was curious why I would want to go to church, much less work in one. At that time the church was in between ministers and I was filling the pulpit. Notice I did not say preaching. I was only 19 at the time.

On the other hand, I was felt just the opposite. Why wouldn’t anyone want to be involved in a loving, accepting, faith community? This had certainly been my experience of church all of my life. So I kept inviting and inviting and one day he surprised me and walked in. Service had already begun and I was on the chancel so I could not greet him. He was a tall drink of water who had to make his way down the front because the back was full.

So there he sat, all by himself, in his jeans, western shirt, and cowboy hat, which he wore throughout the service.

As he sat there, I could see the stares of the people. I watched them sake their heads in disapproval and contempt. "Who was that man?" they asked after church was over. I tried to tell them what I knew. He was a nice guy with a difficult past and who…"but doesn’t he know better than to wear his hat in church?" "I wanted to go over to him and tell him to take off his hat." Needless to say, he was not greeted when he left and he never came back and I don’t blame him. I remember thinking to myself, "But at least he was in church." They just did not get it and Jesus asks, "Do you not understand?"

Well, apparently this was not the time to ask Jesus this question because he pulls the rip cord and lets them have it. He says that not only have they abandoned the commandment of God and hold to human tradition, they have manipulated and distorted religious teachings for their own gain. The example he gives is "honor thy father and mother." This commandment was for when one’s parents could no longer take care of themselves physically and financially. The child was to support them until they died. However, some figured out that if they take the funds that could be used to support their family and identify it as "corban", they could hang on to their money. "Corban" was a vow that designated certain possessions to God and could be used only for that purpose. Then he declares all food to be clean and teaching that it is not what enters into a person that defiles, but what is in the heart and it is here that he asks this disciples a question, which is our question for today, "Do you not understand?"

When looking at Jesus’ ministry, it seems that he ran into that wall quite often; the wall of religious traditions and beliefs that had become more important than being in a personal relationship with God, the wall of personal agendas that caused people to seek gain instead of having compassion upon others, the wall of misunderstanding the point and priorities of what really matters in life and what doesn’t, the wall of nearsightedness that does not allow us to see beyond the moment. It is a question that Jesus asked then and continues to ask today, "Do you not understand?"

I was driving through Brownwood and it was dinner time and I was hungry. I had already passed several restaurants but did not stop. Finally I realized that I had about run out of options. I could have turned around but that would have gone against the Hubert code of travel, one is to never backtrack. So I ended up at a diner that should have been called, "We Serve Grease." I ordered my meal and while I was waiting, I noticed a woman walking in and taking her seat, which was next to my table. She sat at the booth. I could tell by her appearance and actions that she probably had some mental issues. The waitress went over to get her order. She said, "I will have a coke and a cup of chili." The waitress said, "Honey, we don’t have a cup of chili. We have a bowl of chili but not a cup of chili." "But I don’t want a bowl of chili," she said, "I just want a cup of chili." "But we don’t have a cup of chili. We have a bowl of soup, a cup of soup, and a bowl of chili, but we don’t serve a cup of chili." All the while Flo the waitress reading form the menu, I could tell that this lady was becoming agitated and clearly upset.

I finally had to say something. "Excuse me, but is the owner or manager here?" "No," she said. "Well, I said, it seems that all this lady wants is a cup of chili and I don’t understand why she can’t have it." Then I went on to say, "How much is your bowl of chili? Flo the waitress said, "$3.99". I said, "Well, I tell you what, I will buy this lady her chili, and will even double the price to $8.00 if you will just bring her some chili in a cup. Flo the waitress responded, "Sir, we don’t serve cups of chili." I have thought about that so many times, and how Flo the waitress just didn’t get it. She could not see beyond the menu. She could not see beyond the black and white. She could not see the needs of this lady who only wanted a coke and a cup of chili.

"Do you not understand?" asks Jesus. Can you hear his frustration? Can you not understand how easily and often you miss the point in what is happening around you? You get so caught up in yourself that you cannot see others. You get so caught up in what you have been taught that you cannot see any other possibilities. You get so caught up in being religious that you have abandoned, neglected, and sacrificed relationship and in doing so your perceptions have become so limited and your circle has become so small that you have pushed out others and you have pushed out God. Do you not understand that it is not about rules, restrictions, regulations, rituals, and even being religious, instead our religion is about relationships: Relationship with God and others. It is about love. Do you not understand? I can just imagine Jesus saying, "What is it going to take? What must I do so that you will understand?"