For some religions, there are certain restrictions to what can and cannot be eaten. Some of such religions would specify whether it is “kosher or not” to eat something, or whether it is “halal or haram” (Malay for ‘allowed or forbidden to be eaten.’) However, we sometimes come across followers of such religions who focus so much on such dietary laws, that they neglect, ignore or fail to observe more important aspects of God’s laws such as love, mercy, compassion, justice, fairness and many others. They may appear to be pious in what can or cannot be consumed, or even how they look in public, only to be hypocritical in their behaviour and conduct. For example, such persons would avoid eating in a shop which does not have a sign to say that the food sold in such a shop can be eaten by followers of a certain religion, but they seem to turn a blind eye or are ignorant of the corruption, injustice or other malpractices happening around them.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us: “Can you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot make him unclean, because it does not go into his heart but through his stomach and passes out into the sewer? It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.” Some of us may appear to be holy and focus on external practices, but our hearts may be twisted or hide nasty or cruel intentions. Let us take heed and be honest with ourselves, and make every effort to shy away from all that drives us away from our relationship with our loving God.