Anyone who chooses to follow Jesus as healer will be involved in many conflicts for the sake of the Gospel, perhaps even with religious leaders and structures. The slow-witted disciples also needed special tutoring here as in Mk 4:10, 34.

Mark challenges all Christian leaders within his audience to re-evaluate the way they understand and pass on the Christian tradition entrusted to them.

HUMAN traditions often stand in great danger of being considered sacrosanct that they tend to supercede the Divine law of love. Idolising these traditions and man-made laws is tantamount to rejection of God's will.

Legalism and formalism in religion make external observances a substitute for interior "purity." Often these observances are aimed at justifying oneself before God and others. We need to imbibe a new world-vision, a Christian world-vision which affirms the basic goodness of all creation.(7:15) and which strikes at the very root of the separation of the sacred/clean from the secular/unclean. Let us pray for a renewed heart and spirit to enable us to worship God in Spirit and in Truth, in humility and purity of intention. Whatever is opposed to Gospel values is considered unclean.