Mark 8:14-21

In today’s reading, Jesus warns against cultural contagion and negative influences that can creep into our spiritual lives. Specifically, he says to watch out and guard against “the leaven (or yeast) of the Pharisees and…of Herod.”  Yeast, as we may recall, is the sourdough starter that multiplies and spreads through the dough to make bread rise. In our modern context, we can think about our best intentions to be compassionate and to be dedicated to peace, justice, and care for our planet. These intentions sometimes are up against cultural and political norms of capitalism, each person for themselves, and the almighty dollar.  While we want to be on guard against unconsciously adopting those cutthroat values, we also want to demonstrate compassion to people who have fallen prey to them. We are not seeking to treat as enemies those who have been taken over by this mindset.  But we do want to be clear-eyed and protect our spiritual intentions.

This brings us to the next section of the reading.  Here, Jesus exhorts his disciples to open their hearts, minds, and spiritual perceptions to what he is teaching.  He lists various types of spiritual faculties of perception – our comprehension, our hearts, our spiritual eyes, our spiritual ears, our memories.  With each of these, we can perceive what the Holy Spirit is telling us. We may receive visual images or interior visions with our spiritual eyes.  We may receive auditory words called locutions, with our spiritual ears.  With our hearts, we may feel God’s presence or we may pray fervently.  In fact, there are other ways as well.  With our spiritual senses, we may sense the touch of Jesus’ robe or we may smell the fragrance of the dusty earth where he taught.  Or we may simply abide in quietness, gazing towards God, in whatever form of worship each tradition holds.  All are blessed.

Now rest, amen.  There will be more time tomorrow and the days after.